In a recent study by the Indiana University/Purdue University Indianapolis School of Informatics, Wellmont Health System’s website (designed, developed, and maintained by n-tara interactive) was recognized as “best hospital system website in the United States” by an independent group of researchers from IUPUI.
Wellmont.org was selected by multiple researchers based on:
1. Best practices for hospital websites
2. Effectiveness of Web 2.0 technologies
3. Engagement of target audiences (patient & healthcare professional)
4. Visible strategy to gain more patients
Dr. Edgar Huang, PhD from the School of Informatics, led this extensive study, which analyzed the websites of over 2,150 U.S. hospital systems. Dr. Huang stated “Wellmont Health System has set a model for the nation” and suggested that “many hospitals can learn from Wellmont … for new ROI measurement technologies.” His group praised the simple, clean and professional experience, while recognizing the underlying technological sophistication. The researchers acknowledged not only the quality of the content, but also the subtle details such as a Flash intro that plays only on the first visit to the website and provides a play button on successive visits.