# Presentation: 153920

## Introduction to the AIDSinfo ServicePresented by:    Gale Dutcher, NLM                   	            Cynthia Cadden and		                  Matthew Perry, Aspen Systems

## The AIDSinfo service was unveiled on December 2, 2002. The service includes:

A comprehensive web site http://aidsinfo.nih.gov that provides quick and easy access to wide-ranging Federal resources on HIV/AIDS information. 

A telephone reference service that provides confidential, customized answers in English and Spanish on a wide range of clinical trial and treatment topics.

- A comprehensive web site _[http://aidsinfo.nih.gov](http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/)_ that provides quick and easy access to wide-ranging Federal resources on HIV/AIDS information.
- A telephone reference service that provides confidential, customized answers in English and Spanish on a wide range of clinical trial and treatment topics.

**Introduction**

## How AIDSinfo Evolved From Two Existing Services

- The AIDS*info* service evolved as the result of merging two existing Federal HIV/AIDS information services:

- The AIDS Clinical Trials Information Service (1989)
- The HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service (1994).

## Agencies That Currently Fund AIDSinfo

- AIDSinfo is collaboratively funded by:

- The National Institutes of Health (NLM, OAR, NIAID)
- The Health Resources and Services Administration
- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

## The Challenges of Managing a Contract Funded by Multiple Agencies

- Ideological Differences
- Coordination
- Funding

## The AIDSinfo Web Site

**Mission Statement: **To serve as the HHS portal to information about HIV clinical trials and Federally-approved treatment and prevention guidelines.
**Target Audiences: **The audience for the service includes HIV/AIDS patients, their families and friends, health care providers, researchers, and HIV/AIDS organizations.

## The Process for Developing Logo and Graphic Look of Web Site

- Designed 7-9 comps of logo designs for review.
- Used WebEx technology to introduce sponsoring agencies to logo designs.

## Designing the Layout of the Site

- Introduced the concept of layout design
- Address problem from ACTIS and ATIS sites where high numbers of users were coming to the homepages and then leaving.
- Used information gleaned from ATIS online Guidelines Usage Survey.

## Preliminary Usability Testing of Site

- Conducted preliminary usability testing with 5 individuals to solicit feedback on the navigation of the site.

- Four Aspen employees not involved with project
- One participant from local AIDS organization

## Results of Usability Testing

- Improved behind the scenes linkages
- Modified layout of homepage
- Clarified unclear text

## Web Site Activity for the First Month (December)

- Hits		      	    1,694,501
- Page Views	         	       265,867
- Visitor Sessions        	79,454
- Average length of
- 	Time Visitors Spent
- 	on Web Site		        8.5 minutes

## Future Plans

- Develop and implement promotional plan
- Conduct additional usability testing of site
- Add new features
- Evaluate web site usage

## Supporting Web Site Applications

- Web Servers
- Microsoft IIS
- Custom CMS

- Oracle Databases

- Convera Search Engine

- Content Managers

- Warehouse Order Fulfillment

## Supporting Web Site Applications

- All web site content is stored in our Oracle database and managed by the designated content manager through our in-house developed content management system.
- All web pages are ASPs (Active Server Pages) and served up as XHTML.
- Web pages are indexed daily to provide full site searching through the Convera search engine.
- Online publication order are validated and passed directly to our warehouse for fulfillment.