Implications for Designing Online Oral Health Resources: A Review of Fifty‐Six Websites

• Published in: Journal of dental education Vol. 68; no. 6; pp. 633 - 643
• Main Authors: Kim, Sara, Mouradian, Wendy E., Leggott, Penelope J., Schaad, Douglas C., Shaul, Cheryl
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Dental Education Association 01.06.2004
• Subjects: Computer-Aided Design; Dentistry; Education, Dental - methods; Humans; Information Dissemination; Information Storage and Retrieval; Internet; learning; Oral Health; Software Design; User-Computer Interface
• ISSN: 0022-0337; 1930-7837
• DOI: 10.1002/j.0022-0337.2004.68.6.tb03781.x

We conducted a review of websites in oral health to identify content areas of our target interest and design features that support content and interface design. An interprofessional team evaluated fifty‐six oral health websites originating from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and associations (28.6 percent), regional/state agencies (21.4 percent), federal government (19.6 percent), academia (19.6 percent), and commercial (10.7 percent) sources. A fifty‐two item evaluation instrument covered content and web design features, including interface design, site context, use of visual resources, procedural skills, and assessment. Commercial sites incorporated the highest number of content areas (58.3 percent) and web design features (47.1 percent). While the majority of the reviewed sites covered content areas in anticipatory guidance, caries, and fluorides, materials in risk assessment, oral screening, cultural issues, and dental/medical interface were lacking. Many sites incorporated features to help users navigate the content and understand the context of the sites. Our review highlights a major gap in the use of visual resources for posting didactic information, demonstrating procedural skills, and assessing user knowledge. Finally, we recommend web design principles to improve online interactions with visual resources.