MedTouch Sweeps Up More Awards: Client The University of Kansas Hospital Wins Interactive Media Awards "Best in Class" for Innovative Website
Academic Medical Center Website Design Awarded Near Perfect Score
MedTouch is pleased to announce that The University of Kansas Hospital’s website has won the Interactive Media Awards Best in Class award for the Hospital category, with an overall score of 481.The Best in Class award is the highest honor bestowed by the Interactive Media Awards. It represents the very best in planning, execution and overall professionalism. The University of Kansas Hospital website, www.kumed.com, achieved a perfect score for content and near perfect scores for both usability and feature functionality.
A leading academic medical center, The University of Kansas Hospital ranks second in the nation for its high quality and safety, according to a 2009 University HealthSystem Consortium Quality and Accountability Study. The teaching hospital consistently receives top rankings from US News and World Report.. However, The University of Kansas Hospital’s story was not always so bright. In the late 1990s the hospital faced an uncertain future with declining volumes, outdated technology and undercapitalized facilities. A change to an independent governing structure began a success drive to improve its quality of care immeasurably, led to a beautiful new Cancer Center and Center for Advanced Heart Care in 2003. By 2009, with record patient volumes, national quality awards and high patient satisfaction, The University of Kansas Hospital sought to translate its hard-earned reputation online. The hospital asked MedTouch to create a new website which would communicate The University of Kansas Hospital’s dedication to providing quality, showcase its leading treatment programs and success stories, and relay the institution’s journey to excellence.
MedTouch guided the hospital in establishing a seamless, patient-friendly user experience that not only conveys the hospital’s commitment to providing quality care, but also supports patient decision making online.
“It was a very rewarding experience to support a large research hospital redesign and bring their online brand to life in a new and much more sophisticated way,” said Christina Clark, Director of Interactive at MedTouch. “Strategically, The University of Kansas Hospital wanted to reflect their national stature as a research hospital. Through fresh design and well-planned information architecture, MedTouch created a site for Kansas that clearly demonstrates why this hospital is a national destination of choice.”
The new website puts the health consumer first, labeling action items and offering health information and stories that users can identify with, as well as simplifying hospital specialties to a list of commonly used medical terms that patients can understand.
"The redesign represents a strategic step forward for The University of Kansas Hospital," said Julie Amor, Director of Marketing at The University of Kansas Hospital. “MedTouch worked with us to elevate our brand online and showcase our hospital's mission and services. We have seen an increase in activity on the website since the redesign with page views increasing by 30%, organic traffic increasing by 35%, and localized search phrases increasing by 29%. We are working to build upon the redesign to add more features and more public interest in the website."
A full list of 2010 winners can be found on the Interactive Media Awards website.
About MedTouch
Whether consumer-focused web sites, employee-focused Intranets, or online recruitment efforts, MedTouch makes healthcare interactive. MedTouch provides strategy, design, technology, interactive marketing and innovation through its software and professional services practice. Clients include nationally-ranked academic medical centers, community hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, health plans, and health care-related not-for-profits.
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