Creation and pilot testing of StrokEngine: a stroke rehabilitation intervention website for clinicians and families.
OBJECTIVE
There is a gap in the translation of knowledge about stroke between researchers and clinicians. This paper describes the creation and pilot testing of an evidence-based stroke rehabilitation intervention website, StrokEngine (http://www.strokengine.org), which was designed to close this gap.


METHODS
A within-subject design was used to compare the usability and navigability of StrokEngine vs other search strategies/sites. Each participant searched a well-known stroke website, searched StrokEngine, and performed a free search, with the order of search randomized. A standard questionnaire was used to elicit information on usability and navigability across the 3 searches.


METHODS
A purposive sample of 19 rehabilitation clinicians from Montreal, Quebec, with varied stroke-related treatment experience.


RESULTS
All 19 clinicians gave the highest usability score to StrokEngine (p<0.05): StrokEngine usability score (mean 43, SD 4) vs the Cochrane Library (mean 26, SD 8), the Royal College of Physicians website (mean 20, SD 5) and a general Internet search (mean 26, SD 7).


CONCLUSIONS
This preliminary study on StrokEngine's usability and navigability suggests that it has the potential to be an asset for clinicians who wish to keep abreast of information on intervention effectiveness.
Korner-Bitensky
Nicol
N
Faculty of Medicine, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3630 Promenades Sir-William-Osler, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. nicol.korner-bitensky@mcgill.ca
Roy
Marc-André
MA
Teasell
Robert
R
Kloda
Lorie
L
Storr
Caroline
C
Asseraf-Pasin
Liliane
L
Menon
Anita
A
D016208:Databases, Factual; D003658:Decision Making, Computer-Assisted; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods; D007255:Information Services / Q000592:standards; D020407:Internet / Q000592:standards; D010865:Pilot Projects; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014584:User-Computer Interface