2. Identifying the Challenges
How do we transform reliable
health content from the
Healthfinder.gov website into
actionable information in the
palm of people’s hands?
Can evidence-based guidelines
be converted into personalized
recommendations to cultivate
preventive health behaviors?
3. Assemble a Multidisciplinary Team
Kevin Clauson, PharmD – Director, Center for Consumer Health Informatics Research
Zaher Hajar, PharmD – Research Fellow; Clinician
Omar Assaf – Former Executive Assistant to CEO at Pious Technologies
Souhayb Hassoun - Head of Mobile App Development at Telepaty
Mazen Baroudi - Senior Mobile App Designer at Code&Dot
4. Key Features of Mobile
Healthfinder App
1. Personalized, preventive
‘Take Action’ prompts
2. Streamlined interface
3. myhealthfinder widget
4. API-querying search
5. GPS-enabled clinic finder
6. Customized daily feed
7. Social media integration
8. Supports English & Spanish
5. Additional Opportunities
1. App helps remove
barriers to health access
2. Delivers one-touch
functions to tie actions
with physical locations
3. Future plans include
studies on impact of app
on health info seeking &
behaviors with measured
eHealth literacy variable
6. Co-Design: Health Tech Hatch
Three test versions of the app were posted, generating a
total of ten unique pieces of app feedback by
external users; 11 responses were posted by our team
Main feedback categories were: personalization, design,
and specificity
Our responsiveness included changes to allow for
multiple (or zero) personalized profiles that were linked
with interest and/or demographic characteristics
Based on end-user feedback, we added specific
examples of a female profile and (user suggested)
cervical cancer topic with prompts to take related action
steps; clarified the ‘locations’ to be HHS indexed public
health centers that could be mapped from the users
current GPS-enabled location
7. Evaluation Criteria
Usability & Design: app uses principles of human-computer
interaction & UX to create intuitive, engaging interface
Health Literacy Principles: app takes guidance from
healthfinder.gov source content & ODPHP Guide to deliver
patient-friendly language
Connection to Clinical Preventive Services: app integrates
HHS public health center info to deliver interactive ACA-covered
preventive service map
Evidence of Co-Design with End User: documentation on
preceding slide
Innovation in Design: clean, clear design approach results in
user-friendly, empowering form factor
Functionality & Accuracy: app tested on initial planned
rollout on Android platform [Note: Android accounts for ~54%
of smartphone OS market share versus ~36% for Apple iPhone]
Healthfinder.gov Branding: logo incorporation consistent
with use on .gov website and materials
