Almost every one of us has been on at least one side of an IT support episode. Not always pleasant; occasionally dreaded, these IT support calls and emails and chat boxes help us connect to and use the technology that has been created to make our lives “better”. Speaking as someone who has been on both sides of these calls, I’m here to tell you that even us IT support staff hesitate when we have to call for IT support, worried that our question will sound ridiculous to the experts. But without those “ridiculous” questions, good IT designers would never know where users are having problems accessing and using their programs. Good trainers and curriculum developers would not know what aspects to focus on or where their materials are falling short. Basically, we rely on your input to make our tools and support materials better.
One of the great things about supporting the users of our online mapping tools is learning about all the “off-brand” ways you are using them. These workarounds give us ideas for new functionality to add to existing tools; new datasets to add; new tools to build; or new support materials to let others know how you are using the tools. For example, including the ZIP Code to ZCTA crosswalk on the UDS Mapper website was a user request. And we wouldn’t have the “by Patient Origin” or “by Distance” modes in the UDS Mapper if users hadn’t spoken up about ways they need to look at the data. We’d love to hear from you to learn more about how you are using the HealthLandscape suite of tools to meet your needs, especially if you are using them in unique ways.
Jennifer Rankin
HealthLandscape
Senior Manager, Research and Product Services
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