National Institutes of Health Awards Quotient Contract for "Search" Feasibility Study

Quotient Inc. today received a contract award from National Library of Medicine's (NLM's) Office of Computers and Communications (OCCS) to fund experts in Human Factors and Usability Engineering for a research-based feasibility study. Entitled "Matching Search Technology to User Expectations," this award will fund important development in light of increased consumer and patient use of on-line health care information as well as the Federal Government's accelerated development and use of an electronic health information infrastructure.

Quotient Inc. will conduct exploratory studies focusing on user retrieval behavior specific to health related Web site applications. Additionally, Quotient will develop interface guidelines for Web site application design, collectively referred to as 'search'. This work is targeted to a largely ignored area of user interface design.

"Quotient’s approach emphasizes that meeting end-user requirements with strictly technology-centric solutions is not sufficient to provide a satisfying and informing user search experience. Ultimately this contract award will improve the way users can accomplish Web site searching for health information on NLM Web sites," said Renate Roske-Shelton, PhD, Senior Usability Engineer.