title: Evaluating a federated medical search engine: tailoring the methodology and reporting the evaluation outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Federated medical search engines are health information systems that provide a single access point to different types of information. Their efficiency as clinical decision support tools has been demonstrated through numerous evaluations. Despite their rigor, very few of these studies report holistic evaluations of medical search engines and even fewer base their evaluations on existing evaluation frameworks.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a federated medical search engine, MedSocket, for its potential net benefits in an established clinical setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study applied the Human, Organization, and Technology (HOT-fit) evaluation framework in order to evaluate MedSocket. The hierarchical structure of the HOT-factors allowed for identification of a combination of efficiency metrics. Human fit was evaluated through user satisfaction and patterns of system use; technology fit was evaluated through the measurements of time-on-task and the accuracy of the found answers; and organization fit was evaluated from the perspective of system fit to the existing organizational structure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Evaluations produced mixed results and suggested several opportunities for system improvement. On average, participants were satisfied with MedSocket searches and confident in the accuracy of retrieved answers. However, MedSocket did not meet participants' expectations in terms of download speed, access to information, and relevance of the search results. These mixed results made it necessary to conclude that in the case of MedSocket, technology fit had a significant influence on the human and organization fit. Hence, improving technological capabilities of the system is critical before its net benefits can become noticeable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HOT-fit evaluation framework was instrumental in tailoring the methodology for conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the search engine. Such multidimensional evaluation of the search engine resulted in recommendations for system improvement.
authors.affiliation: School of Information Science and Learning Technologies, University of Missouri , Columbia, MO, 65211.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saparova
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri , Columbia, MO 65212.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Belden
authors.affiliation: MedSocket , Columbia, MO 65211.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: School of Information Science and Learning Technologies, University of Missouri , Columbia, MO, 65211.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: School of Information Science and Learning Technologies, University of Missouri , Columbia, MO, 65211.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schuster
mesh_terms: D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057225:Data Mining / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D063005:Health Information Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D033181:Information Dissemination; D057386:Search Engine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012984:Software; D012986:Software Validation; D014481:United States; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: Search engine; evaluation; family physicians; health information systems; information storage and retrieval; methods