Why Mobile for AIDS.gov?

Content From: HIV.govPublished: May 11, 20102 min read

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Later this month, social media and public health leaders from around the country will gather at Stanford for MobileHealth 2010. We're pleased to co-host this conference with our colleagues at Stanford University's Persuasive Technology LabExit Disclaimer and the CDC or get Facebook updatesExit Disclaimer on the conference and mobile health applications and research.

We've talked a little bit about our HIV.gov mobile strategy before, but today we want to take a step back and ask the more basic question, "why mobile for HIV.gov?" While mobile websites and mobile applications are getting a lot of attention, not all websites and their content are suitable for developing as a mobile platform. Before deciding if mobile is right for HIV.gov, we asked ourselves:

  • Is there information on the HIV.gov website that mobile users are looking for?
  • By developing a mobile site, are we satisfying an unmet need in the general population?
  • Are we providing at-risk populations with valuable information when they need it through the use of mobile?

We've seen a steady increase of mobile users to HIV.gov. And we've learned that these users tend to visit our "HIV Basics" and "What is HIV?" pages. Considering things like accessibility, access, and the importance of disseminating health information, it has become clear to us that mobile is an appropriate and important component of HIV.gov's overall web presence and online strategy.

Much of the basic HIV/AIDS information has already been written in the current content management systemExit Disclaimer PercussionExit Disclaimer. A content management system, or CMS, helps manage website content, often by using templates and allowing multiple users to modify the content. By using existing systems, HIV.gov will be able to maintain and update our current website more effectively and synchronize new information with the mobile site in a seamless manner.

We look forward to sharing more about our mobile plans as they progress, and look forward to hearing from and talking with our colleagues at MobileHealth 2010 about how mobile technology can improve people's health.