A Collaborative Site for Healthcare Innovation

Summary of services provided:

• Browser-based content management
• Comprehensive site management services
• Coordinated print and web publishing
• Creative ideas
• Custom issues-oriented discussion board
• Custom site design
• E-mail newsletter management
• Demographic research and analysis
• Managed beta testing
• Managed site advertising
• Original content development
• Shopping cart solution
• Site architecture
• Site promotion
• Site re-design
• Strategic consulting
• Web advertising design

Project overview. The Best Practice Network (best4health.org) was a project commissioned by a consortium of professional healthcare associations. Its purpose was to enable healthcare clinicians (doctors, nurses and pharmacists) to share innovative practices, exchange ideas about treatment methods and policies, and share healthcare best practices. Other goals of the site included showcasing the work of healthcare industry innovators and presenting challenging viewpoints from healthcare change leaders.

• The Best Practice Incubator. Clinicians use dynamic technology to submit an innovative project to the Incubator to be "nurtured" by other clinicians who have special expertise.
• Everyday Innovations. Clinicians share improvements in routine documentation and workflow.
• Poster Presentations. Clinicians share brief presentations of innovative practices online.
• Tools of the Trade, Programs that Work, Best Practices. Clinicians share well-documented, successfully implemented programs that made a difference.
• Discussion Space. Clinicians participate in custom-designed, categorized, searchable discussion board, notable in its structured approach to keeping discussions focused on the issues.

Dynamic site technology. Our site administration module enabled site administrators to update news, calendar and Web links daily in real time through a standard web browser.

Monthly site updates. We managed extensive monthly site updates, including editing of major articles, writing of incidental copy, design of accompanying graphic elements, and thorough quality assurance. Additionally, we developed and managed an e-mail newsletter with a subscriber list of over 15,000.

Syndication of site content. The Best Practice Network was selected by Healtheon-WebMD as one of a handful of content sites to be syndicated on the initial version of their new WebRN site. We prepared a special version of selected syndicated version of site content for this purpose. The syndicated version allowed current content to be quickly and easily repurposed, appearing with an alternate color scheme and a design that matched the WebRN site.