Health Portal: An Alternative Using Open Source Technology

2. Methodology

In order to reach our objective of proposing a model of a health portal user-centered, we followed a research process developed in six phases. The first phase consisted in a review of the literature on web portals and contents, in particular, the contents applied to user-centered health portals.

In the second phase, we identified user groups through a stakeholder analysis of a health portal (Freeman, 2010). This approach identified stakeholders groups in order to be able to reflect their wants and needs.

The third step involved the survey of the major health portals and their main features, using a qualitative research documentary study (Myers, 2008).

In the fourth and fifth stages we build the Conceptual Model and implemented the prototype using a content management tool. For these phases we applied a design research methodology (Vaishnavi & Kuechler, 2004).

In the sixth and last stage, we proceeded to the evaluation of the concept of a central calendar interface for a health portal. Figure 1 illustrates schematically the steps followed in this methodological approach.

Figure 1.

Research process

3. Literature Review

The literature review combines three approaches divided as Table 1 shows.