Fresh from a usability study that ranked RadiologyInfo.org in the top 15 percent of more than 200 Web sites and earning a top award for health-related sites, coordinators of the patient information portal are looking to the future by adding audiovisual presentations and other tools to enhance the experience of site visitors.

Joseph H. Tashjian, M.D.
St. Paul Radiology

Launched this month, clips pairing PowerPoint presentations with audio recordings offer RadiologyInfo.org users another medium for learning about radiology procedures, said Joseph H. Tashjian, M.D., RSNA representative co-chair of the RSNA-American College of Radiology (ACR) Public Information Web Site Committee.

"We believe that some people would rather watch a short video instead of reading information off a Web site," said Dr. Tashjian, president of St. Paul Radiology in St. Paul, Minn. "We also know our short video clips are popular with many people."

Created in 2000 as a first-of-its-kind joint RSNA project with ACR, RadiologyInfo continues to expand its successful formula of educating patients through a variety of creative and informative tools. This year, the committee plans to use the results of a 2008 usability assessment to guide revisions to the site's content, design and navigation. In its evaluation, Web site development firm Imaginary Landscape rated RadiologyInfo.org eight or nine on a 10-point scale on most criteria. The company was especially impressed by the site's search engine optimization and recommended only one improvement: A design facelift.

"The company concluded that users found the site easy to navigate and full of good content, but recommended its look be updated," said committee member James Donaldson, M.D., chair of the Department of Medical Imaging at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago and the RSNA-ACR committee vice co-chair.

Along with past awards including the 2003 Association Trends All Media Gold Medal, RadiologyInfo.org was among the recipients of the 2008 Health Improvement Institute's Aesculapius Award of Excellence for health-related Web sites.

Content Drives Success

In 2008 alone, almost 5.4 million people visited RadiologyInfo.org, which draws nearly 500,000 hits each month and increases its traffic by 25 percent each year. Since going bilingual in 2005, the site averages more than 2 million page views per year in Spanish.

A new RadiologyInfo™ feature, "Your Radiologist Explains," pairs PowerPoint presentations with audio recordings to offer users another medium for learning about radiology procedures. "Your Radiologist Explains" clips were launched this month for chest X-ray, pediatric radiology and abdominal CT, with more to come.

Content has increased dramatically, with more than 100 radiologic examinations and treatments now posted and 15 to 20 new procedures added each year. More than 100 new medical terms were defined and added to the site's glossary in 2008.

The site has grown so quickly in scope, size and reputation that the eight-member committee originally created to oversee its progress has expanded to 14 medical professionals.

The secret to the success of RadiologyInfo.org, according to committee members, is using simple, straight-forward language the average person can understand. The site guides visitors through an A-Z listing of procedures explained in an easy-to-follow question-and-answer format that addresses what patients might experience in an exam and how to prepare. Procedures are illustrated in an image gallery.

While described in a simple way, the complex content is actually carefully reviewed by a committee of diagnostic radiologists, radiation oncologists, nuclear medicine physicians, interventional radiologists and a medical physicist.

Each member oversees a body system, such as chest or abdominal, in terms of Web site content. Categorized as diagnostic, interventional, nuclear medicine or radiation therapy, content includes everything from new procedures, terms and studies to images and news articles. Also included are Radiology in Motion video cartoons—with clever titles like "The X-Ray Files"—originally designed by Walt Disney Studios and RSNA as part of a three-year EPCOT Center exhibit that debuted in the late 1990s.

Along with their knowledge of the issues, the committee considers content by tracking which subjects get the most visits and reviewing user feedback posted on the site's user survey. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, according to the committee.

Posting new information quickly and accurately is important. Expert commentary on a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) study on radiation risk and CT scanning was posted on RadiologyInfo.org within two days after the NEJM article was published in 2007. Committee members put the article into what they considered the proper context, emphasizing key points for the public.

In 2008, the site posted an original article detailing the differences between observational studies and randomized, controlled trials. The article drew praise from National Cancer Institute Director John E. Niederhuber, M.D., who directed his media office to use the article as a model for explaining complex scientific concepts to the public.

The clinical trials article translates well to the average person because it was reviewed for clarity by people with no medical background, said Dr. Tashjian. "We're beginning to have lay people review our Web site for understandability and this article was sent to several non-medical people," he said. "Having their input helped that article immensely so that when we posted it, it was clear to the lay public."

One of the site's best promotional tools is its search engine optimization, said committee members. Search engines consistently return RadiologyInfo.org at the top of millions of Google hits on keyword searches such as "radiology procedures" or "CT scan." To ensure maximum search success, the site includes terms commonly known to the public but rarely used by physicians, such as CAT scan. "Most patients find the site through a search engine," said Dr. Donaldson.

"Both RSNA and ACR are dedicated to making RadiologyInfo.org an excellent Web site for patients," he said. "It's actually a rewarding and productive way for the two societies to work together. It's a novel creation that's been working very well."