Guerrilla tactics in information dissemination: developing a Web‐based resource for NHS managers

Abstract

Information systems play a vital role in the NHS; however, not all are used to the fullness of their capacity. In order to inform the development of the National electronic Library for Health Management, the key elements of a successful, large‐scale, corporate, Web‐based resource were investigated through semi‐structured interviews with colleagues working on intranets in different sectors. The conclusions drawn from these conversations are that the resource requires: creative and yet clear design, coupling attractive layouts, which appeal to the eye, with user‐friendly routes into the content; pages containing information which can be found nowhere else; careful planning in the early stages in order to get the technology and scale right for the organisation; and, perhaps most importantly, promotion via some sort of face‐to‐face, human means, translating the seemingly abstract system on the screen into a useful resource with connections to the work on the desk and the team in the office.