Compuware Prescribes Solution for Health Systems Web Site

When you’re trying to position yourself as a leading-edge healthcare resource, having a web site that does little more than provide general static information doesn’t exactly promote the image you’re after. Faced with totally revamping its site and not enough resources to pull it off, University Hospitals Health System turned to the professionals at Compuware to get the job done.

University Hospitals Health System (UHHS) is northern Ohio’s premier healthcare delivery system. With nearly 22,000 physicians and employees comprising UHHS and its partner hospitals, it ranks as northern Ohio’s second largest employer. The System manages more than 3 million outpatient visits and 120,000 inpatient discharges annually. Its goal is to provide comprehensive primary and community-based care—the kind of healthcare people need most—as well as access to the highest quality specialty care when necessary.

In line with these objectives, UHHS wanted to revamp its web site to become a premier healthcare site, providing patients with options such as appointment scheduling capabilities, physician referrals and health resource information. A separate portal for physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals would provide online access to patient information, test results, special procedure orders and more.

Finding the Right Partner

Compuware’s testing was so thorough, the user is having a great experience. —Brian Schultz Corporate Webmaster, University Hospitals Health System

UHHS sent out a request for proposals to 18 vendors asking for their assistance in designing and creating the new web site. Compuware soon emerged as the clear-cut choice for the job. "Compuware has a local presence, and that was important to us," says Brian Schultz, corporate webmaster for UHHS. "They weren’t high-pressure-kind-of-people, either, coming in and telling us ‘this is what you have to do’.

"Compuware stood out from a professional standpoint. They asked us what we wanted to do and told us how they could help us achieve our goals," Schultz continues. "And they backed it up with very solid people, right from the get-go."

UHHS found Compuware services professionals had a realistic approach to the project, eager to assimilate what the hospital system wanted its web site to achieve. "Then they approached us with the ‘good, better, best’ philosophy," Schultz says. "They worked with us to find the right fit for our launch—what areas required the ‘best’ approach and those that could be ‘good’ for now and made ‘better’ or ‘best’ later on, once we established a solid web presence. There was a huge amount of flexibility on Compuware’s part

A Staged Approach to Success

Compuware took the lead role in the effort, assuming responsibility for creating the graphic "look and feel" of the site as well as all of the technical aspects surrounding development and implementation. The new web site is database-driven, with dynamically displayed content. The graphic design was overseen by the hospital system to make sure it complied with the message being delivered by other media channels in regard to the UHHS mission, vision and commitment to the community.

With Compuware, you know you’re getting the best expertise for the best value. You’re also getting a vendor that doesn’t just hear you, they really listen to your needs and work collaboratively to meet objectives. —Brian Schultz Corporate Webmaster, University Hospitals Health System

Delivered in stages, the site was content-based initially, with later phases featuring more interactive features and functionality. The first phase focused on the presentation of general content regarding UHHS facilities, services, philosophy and general medical information. Interactive features, added later, include a physician directory and search functionality, and the ability to request an appointment, register for special programs and send feedback to various departments.

Later phases of the project added functionality such as a secure physician portal for information sharing, an online continuous medical education feature, online registration for clinical trials and a moderated bulletin board for select participants. Compuware also created a customized content management system that allows UHHS to have complete administrative control for updating all content on the site—a very cost-effective feature. The effort was completed utilizing n-tier web architecture, with Microsoft web technologies. The strong foundation of the site allows for it to be easily modified and upgraded based on future needs—Compuware recently converted it to .NET technology. A customized web reporting tool is currently being developed to track activity and demonstrate the return on investment.

A Partner You Can Rely On

The new UHHS web site features an elegant, straightforward, easy-to-navigate design. Response to the site has been overwhelmingly positive—allowing UHHS to achieve its major objectives of reinforced branding, improved customer service and expanded marketing base.

The new online registration capability has garnered increased participation in the Community Senior Membership program. The number of physician searches on the site increases each day boosting their efficiency and the ability to service patients. And, the site performs on demand. "Compuware’s testing was so thorough, the user is having a great experience," Schultz enthuses. "One of the biggest things our users report, is that they find the site very user-friendly," Schultz continues. "That has a lot to do with the way Compuware designed the site. It’s really rewarding to be hearing such positive feedback."

It’s interesting to note that all of this positive feedback is being received on a web site that was completely designed and developed off-site, at Compuware’s Cleveland offices. "We didn’t have the space to house Compuware people over here," says Schultz. "Everything was done off-site, but it didn’t feel like it. Our employees had complete access to the team working at Compuware. That says a lot about the business relationship we developed over the course of the project."

Would UHHS recommend Compuware professional services to other organizations? In a heartbeat. "With Compuware, you know you’re getting the best expertise for the best value. You’re also getting a vendor that doesn’t just hear you, they really listen to your needs and work collaboratively to meet objectives," Schultz says. Sounds like just what the doctor ordered.