Happy Hapai: Evaluating the Usability of a Pregnancy and Childbirth Preparation Website

Abstract

Pregnancy and childbirth is a wonderful experience for many women, and even their partners. During this period of gestation, there is a strong focus on the mother and child’s overall wellness and planning for the birth of her child(ren). For individuals living on O`ahu, there are many resources available; however, it can be a tiresome process to find all of the information expecting families need and want. In addition to speaking to medical professionals and reading informational books, many find themselves seeking answers on the Internet. Therefore, a need for a location-based, comprehensive online resource was identified. The purpose of this usability study was to evaluate the functionality, navigability, and ease of use of an O`ahu-based pregnancy and birth preparation website and the participants’ satisfaction with the content and design. The website was developed using WiX, a cloud-based development platform, and contains useful, relevant, and location-based information to help expecting parents make informed decisions about their pregnancy and delivery. The usability study recruited nine participants who gauged the navigability of the website and their satisfaction with the design and content. Feedback and data analysis from the study indicated that participants agreed that the website was easy to use and were satisfied with the available resources.