CDC Model Prototype Description


The model prototype is a static system that replicates the kind of system a state may want to develop, adopt, or purchase. It demonstrates the best practices of a user-centered design process and the key features that are valued by the user community and its stakeholders. These best practices were identified through previous analyses (summarized in other reports posted on this Website). The prototype also provides online access to the information in the guidelines document ("Web-Based Systems for the Dissemination of Health-Related Data: A Guide for Public Health Agencies Developing, Adopting, or Purchasing Interactive Web-based Data Dissemination Systems") to help direct administrators, project managers, developers, and designers. The prototype is to be used as a training tool and design model for developers and designers who are working toward completion of similar systems.

The system demonstrates three types of queries that correspond to three predominant target user groups:

The queries are intended to provide guidance to system developers and to adopters of purchased or previously developed systems. They also are designed to address the architecture and content that best assists users in constructing effective queries. The queries prototyped also demonstrate methods for users to understand the data they receive by providing metadata.

Three Query Paths

The queries included in this prototype correspond to the characteristics of the three identified major user groups. Queries represented in this prototype are broken out as:



Beginner (this is conceived of as the default querying mechanism) - This is a "wizard"-based query that will have a series of query pages aimed at users with the least amount of experience. This query is best suited to public users.



Complex - This query assumes the users have some statistical analysis ability. This query is designed with public health practitioners and intermediate users in mind.



Expert - This query assumes advanced knowledge of statistics and allows for the direct download of datasets, dataset manipulation, and more sophisticated analyses. This query is designed for researchers and other expert users.