Assessing Usability and User Attitudes about an Educational Website: ConnectMyVariant

Abstract

Cascade testing for hereditary conditions such as cancer offers great potential for disease prevention, yet many challenges still exist for family communication and testing. ConnectMyVariant applies a unique combination of genealogy, direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing, and social networking to the context of cascade screening for hereditary cancers. ConnectMyVariant is an educational website that offers information and resources for patients with pathogenic variants to connect with others who share the same pathogenic variant. This thesis describes the content development of the website and examines the usability and user perceptions of the website. Think-aloud and semi-structured interviews were conducted with potential users, and these interviews analyzed using qualitative methods. Usability issues included barriers to understanding, completing tasks, and navigation. However, many participants also made positive comments on many aspects of the website and expressed that they would share it with others, encouraging further development of the resource.