Web 2.0 Systems Supporting Childhood Chronic Disease Management: Design Guidelines Based on Information Behaviour and Social Learning Theories

Abstract

Self-directed learning denotes that the individual is in command of what should be learned and why it is important. In this study, guidelines for the design of Web 2.0 systems for supporting diabetic adolescents’ every day learning needs are examined in light of theories about information behaviour and social learning. A Web 2.0 system was developed to support a community of practice and social learning structures were created to support building of relations between members on several levels in the community. The features of the system included access to participation in the culture of diabetes management practice, entry to information about the community and about what needs to be learned to be a full practitioner or respected member in the community, and free sharing of information, narratives and experience-based knowledge. After integration with the key elements derived from theories of information behaviour, a preliminary design guideline document was formulated.

Appendices

Design solutions on diabetic adolescents’ information behaviour: Knowledge seeking

Everyday information behaviour	Example design/application solutions*
Other diabetic adolescents needs	Questionnaire program
What needs could be solved with ICT	IT School on-line
Personal competence	Education and course information
IT-management	Internet—ABC on-line
Information literacy	Narrative database
Access to other diabetic adolescents’ knowledge
* The mapping between everyday information behaviours and design solutions is not one to one. Several everyday information behaviours can be met by one design solution, as well as one everyday information behaviour can be met by several design solutions.

The questionnaire program supports further investigations of diabetic adolescents’ needs.

On-line courses and information about education options give the opportunity for diabetic adolescents to increase their knowledge about diabetes management.

Design/application solutions	Questionnaires
Objective	The users are given access to a questionnaire computer program that will enable them to construct their own questionnaires and nalyze the results.
Description	A page with links to a questionnaire computer program and files with instructions.
Design/application solutions	Education and course information
Objective	To provide users with information about courses and education in diabetes management. Users also have access to on-line courses and information about IT and information seeking on the Internet.
Description	This section contains several options such as: Education: A searchable database with information about courses, with information about topic, date, duration, location, course type and target group. Former pupils have the opportunity to write and send their opinions about a specific course, their evaluations could then be read by presumptive participants.
Design/application solutions	Narrative database
Objective	Diabetic adolescents are able to take part of other diabetic adolescents experiences and as a consequence become more knowledgeable in their everyday union work.
Description	Diabetic adolescents mail descriptions of experiences of cases or problematic situations and how they have managed them, to a moderator. The moderator supervises the descriptions and excludes any information that can be of offence or lead to personal identifications. The descriptions are stored in a searchable database.

Design solutions on diabetic adolescents’ information behaviour: Information seeking

Everyday information behaviour	Example design/application solutions*
Agreements	Main page
Laws and regulations	General healthcare information
The local diabetes team	Team description
Insurance	FAQ
Community information	Community guide
Insurance	Encyclopaedias
Address information	Web search tools
Healthcare service information	Link collections
	Diabetes projects
* The mapping between everyday information behaviours and design solutions is not one to one. Several everyday information behaviours can be met by one design solution, as well as one everyday information behaviour can be met by several design solutions.

Diabetic adolescents’ need of information mainly considers information about the local diabetes services, laws and regulations and community information. Options are possible for extended searches of information in encyclopaedias and on the Internet.

Design/application solutions		Main page
Objective		To present profiled information to the user.
Description		The general public: The main page gives a brief introduction to the local health service organization, shows overall information of the local diabetes team members. The information is designated to attract non-members to sign up for membership. Users can download an interest membership application form and send it to the trade union in question.
		Families: The family members are provided the possibility to present themselves in a specific section by a page with personal information. Families reach all parts of the prototype directed to the general public.
		Diabetic adolescents: Diabetic adolescents are shown a main page with information from the local diabetes team and news and events within their respective trade union and division. They are also provided with information of special interest and use according to their clinical context.
Design/application solutions		General information
Objective		To give an introduction to modern diabetes management and the rules which regulates health services and relations between patients and healthcare professionals.
Description		A page with general information about the topic.
Design/application solutions		General healthcare information
Objective		To make the general public, in particular families and diabetic adolescents more knowledgeable about the rules, which control the healthcare. Families and diabetic adolescents have access to laws at questions concerning their rights and obligations.
Description		The section contains a searchable full-text database with laws regulating the healthcare sector. The comments give guidelines to how the laws ought to be interpreted.
Design/application solutions		Insurance
Objective		To give an overview of different insurance systems provided in Sweden and their distinguished features. Users are provided with information of which insurance they are entitled to according to their age, disease status, and residence.
Description		The user could choose between pages which show common information about insurance, and which insurance their clinical situation entitles them to.

Design solutions on diabetic adolescents’ information behaviour: Communications

Everyday information behaviour	Example design/application solutions*
Means to communicate with other diabetic adolescents on every level in the organization	My groups, discussion groups
Get support from other union representatives	E-mail
Virtual meetings	Chat
Means to create networks	Net meeting
Support from experts and mentors	ICQ
Send, receive and transfer information	Video conference
Distant education	Questions to the diabetes team
* The mapping between everyday information behaviours and design solutions is not one to one. Several everyday information behaviours can be met by one design solution, as well as one everyday information behaviour can be met by several design solutions.

The system contains a number of communication tools, with the aim to give users opportunities to choose a preferable tool and facilitate communication.

The tools, e.g., ICQ, chat, conference systems and an address book have functions as file transporting, text, video and audio transfer in real time and contact information.

This section also includes:

Design/application solutions		My groups
Objective		The aim of this system function is to encourage forming of groups and to serve as a platform for group cooperation. It is a tool for communication, collaborative works and/or studies within a group. The user could be invited and becomes a participant in an existing group, or create and invite others to a group of his own. Participants could be any user with access to this section of the system. If an external teacher, expert or mentor is needed, there would be the possibility to give that person access to the section.
Description		The user is shown a page with a number of function buttons. When he/she clicks on a button, different windows open in the page. Several windows could be shown at the same time. The functions are as follows:
		Participants: Shows the names and contact information of the group members. The user could choose to see video-recordings of the other group members in real time. When a member is talking, his or hers name will be highlighted.
		Talk: Makes it possible to talk via a microphone with the other group members.
		Video: Shows video recordings. Group members could together follow recordings.
		Chat: Gives the possibility to write and communicate in real time.
		Discussions: Group members are able to agree on different topics to discuss, send, and read contributions about the topics they choose.
		Drawing board: Members are able to write and draw on an electronic board, which are accessible in real time to all group members.
		Archive: A database that contains all documents or files the group members want to share.
		Messages: Shows messages from the group members.
		Send/download: Makes it possible to send a file to the archive function in the system or directly to group members and download files.
		Share documents: Allows group members to work together in documents in real-time or when they choose.
		My documents: A place where a group member saves his or hers own documents or files.
		Schedule: Shows planning and time when group members will meet on-line.
Design/application solutions		Discussion groups
Objective		To enhance the possibility to share knowledge and give support to communication between union representatives and/or members. Some discussion groups are only available for diabetic adolescents where they are able to discuss issues, specific for their union commission or level of experience.
Description		Users can read and send in contributions to the discussions. Previous contributions are stored. It is possible to search for a specific discussion group or contributor. Users can choose their favourite groups and have them listed and shown in one page of the section. They are also able to create their own discussion groups. Descriptions of the various groups are shown in a pop-up window.
Design/application solutions		E-mail
Objective		A tool to support families and diabetic adolescents’ communication.
Description		First time the family member or diabetic adolescents log in to the system, they are given a personal electronic mail address. The e-mail service handles e.g. reading, sending and storing of messages. It is connected to the address book and other functions in the prototype. For instance, if a user click on an e-mail address information in the system, a window with a “send mail” function will open.
Design/application solutions		Questions to the diabetes team
Objective		To facilitate contact between union representatives and members.
Description		A page with contact information to the user’s diabetes team. The information is profiled according to the user’s union membership and geographical location.

Design solutions on diabetic adolescents’ information behaviour: Text and document management

Everyday information behaviour		Example design/application solutions*
Word translation and text processing		Dictionaries and glossaries
Information management		Templates
Information material		Forms
Computer programs
Information material about diabetes
* The mapping between everyday information behaviours and design solutions is not one to one. Several everyday information behaviours can be met by one design solution, as well as one everyday information behaviour can be met by several design solutions.

Design solutions provide diabetic adolescents’ with practical tools and support to handle information, writing and other items.

Design/application solutions		Dictionaries and glossaries
Objective		The aim of this section is to facilitate reading, and language management in the medical area.
Description		Direct links to several medical dictionaries, and glossaries with diabetes terms, clinical expressions and a glossary with community terms in immigrant languages.
Design/application solutions		Templates
Objective		To facilitate for diabetic adolescents who are inexperienced in writing and structuring formal letters.
Description		Templates over letters, which are common for diabetic adolescents to handle or especially difficult to manage are provided.
Design/application solutions		Computer programs
Objective		The aim is to furnish the users with small computer programs, useful in their diabetes management. The programs handle e.g. glucose-level simulations, audio and video playing and web programming.
Description		The section presents short descriptions on a number of computer programs, e.g. the diabetes simulator Särimner. When users click on a link next to the description, the chosen program will be downloaded.
Design/application solutions		Diabetes information
Objective		A comprehensive introduction material about diabetes management, either to be distributed to other persons, e.g. teachers, or to satisfy the users own information needs.
Description		A page with downloadable information about diabetes management.
Design/application solutions		Link collections
Objective		Users in need of further information about the community or on special subjects are provided with links or link collections to home sites of authorities and organizations, which handles matters of interest for the diabetic adolescent. Users are also given a possibility to have access to favourite links independent of place or platform.
Description		Several options are available as follows:
		Authorities/Organizations: A page with links to authorities and organizations, which could be useful to diabetic adolescents to have contact with or get information from.
		My Own Links: A page where users have the opportunity to put and have access to their favourite links.
		They also have similar needs of information, knowledge and personal support and experience their situation equally, needs of knowledge, information, communication and information material.
		In self-management of diabetes, information gathering, information mediation, and to have contact with peers in problematic situations has been noticed as tasks embedded in the different commissions.