Kaiser Permanente, the largest non-profit healthcare provider in the US, chose Critical Mass as its interactive agency of record in 2001. Initially contracted to provide information architecture and design services for the complete redesign of Kaiser's Web presence, our role has expanded to included technical consulting, HTML development, content development, research and analytic work. With the full release of the new kaiserpermanente.org in December 2003, Critical Mass and Kaiser Permanente are now moving forward on further refinements as interactive partners.
Kaiser Permanente's objective was not simply to update the organization and layout of their Web presence, but to integrate content and functionality from multiple existing sites into one unified, redesigned Web identity. The challenge for Kaiser Permanente and Critical Mass was to create a Web site that provided tailored content and access for multiple audiences (among them health-plan members, prospective members, employers purchasing health-plan coverage for their employees, health-care providers and others) across different geographic regions. A further challenge for us was engaging with a very large and complex organization, with many different internal teams working simultaneously on different projects, leading towards one ultimate goal.
Critical Mass and Kaiser Permanente created a comprehensive Web site that targets different audiences and regions by providing specific content and access to users, with lowered sign-on barriers that have increased public access to valuable health information and reduced the information required from individuals. The site is driven by a content-management system that allows for contributions from widely dispersed editors. Extensive user testing was completed during all phases of the project to constantly refine and optimize the design, information architecture, functionality and content.
The relationship between Kaiser Permanente and Critical Mass has evolved from a traditional client and agency pairing towards a true partnership. Our employees are vital, fully integrated members of different design and development teams, creating many points of contact between the two organizations. Our creative vision, technical innovation, leadership and sensitivity to client needs are vital to Kaiser Permanente's vision of its future online presence.
The Members' section of the new kp.org was launched for two regions in December 2002, then for all regions in July 2003. In this short time the Members' section has already received recognition from the World Wide Health Awards. In the last three months of 2003, KP surveyed its members, and found 91% reported the site was useful to them, 96% trusted the security of the site, and 99% trusted the accuracy of the health information content.
