The research showed clearly that labtestsonline.org.au.au users are highly satisfied with the information they obtain from labtestsonline.org.au and believe it helps them greatly in conversations with their doctors and other health professionals.
A clear benefit of the website is the opportunity for people to access information in their own time, away from the medical environment - GP’s surgery or hospital consultation room - where they may not remember all of the information given to them. “It’s good because sometimes you don’t know the questions to ask your GP and you can come on here when you are more focussed and not panicking.” (General public, Brisbane)
Pathology collectors see labtestsonline.org.au as valuable to patients who do not always understand all their doctor tells them. They sometimes recommend it to patients to avoid having to answer questions they do not feel equipped to answer. They also use it as an information resource for themselves. Nurses, practice managers and other health professionals held similar views.
“We can say, ‘have a look at it and then come back’, because the doctors are so busy and a lot of the time it isn’t just the doctors or it is the nurses or one of us allied health professionals that the family get hold of. Something like this (Lab Tests Online Au) would be great.” (OT, Sydney)
“I can see myself recommending this to patients so that I don't spend half an hour trying to explain something which I don't understand very well myself.” (Nurse, Sydney)
“Our parents (in neonatal) want to know everything because it's their child. But to tell them everything, they would go away with half that information, if you are lucky. So to have a site that you can refer them to, to read and re-read and discuss at home or to discuss with their partner or what have you - tell their mother about, you know, the whole family dynamics have got to get their input - I think it's a great idea.” (Nurse, Sydney)
“GPs consulting time is 6 to 11 minutes, so there isn’t very much time for that kind of patient education.” (Hospital doctor, Sydney)
Our hospital professionals and the public groups considered the technical level of the information appropriate for the public. GPs, however, felt it was more suited to their own purposes. They normally accessed pathology information through regular newsletters issued by the laboratories, their websites or by contacting one of the pathologists by phone. They were excited by the prospect of using labtestsonline.org.au as a resource for themselves. “I have used it twice today. Because there was a test from a specialist and I thought, "Why has he done that?" I thought, "Well, that makes sense"…..very detailed, the information.”(GP, Brisbane)
The vast majority of the public and medical and health professionals considered the website easy to navigate. They liked its simplicity of use. It was described as professional and “medical” looking with “an almost familiar feel to it”. “It’s professional looking…I am no computer whizz but I actually find it quite easy to navigate around it…its user friendly.”(Collector, Brisbane)