User Guide Advice Wanted

[Martin Bosworth <martinhbosworth -at- gmail -dot- com>]

I'm developing the user documentation for a Web portal that
specializes in virtual teleconferencing and remote health care. The
developer docs are solid and easy to follow, but they're extremely
repetitive, as each class of user has a series of steps to take for
submitting a request for treatment. So the guide repeats each order of
steps, over and over again.

I decided to divide the guide into "mini-guides" based on each user
class, and tailor the content for each. The user classes are as
follows:

Providers (Doctors and specialists)

Patients (Adult and children)

Administrators and Supervisors

The Web site has two portals, one for adults, and one for children.
Each portal has two sub-portals..a Patient site, and a Provider site.

I know I'm on the right track as far as making the guides individual
and tailored to each user, but what's the smartest way to divide these
up? (Keep in mind, this is gov't and military, so while the common
sense approach may be out, we have plenty of time in which to work. :)
) Do I continue on this track, or redo each guide according to user
class, with references to both portals (i.e. Adult Provider and Adult
Patient)?

I know the answer is blindingly obvious, but I'm dead tired and just
can't see it. Any advice or insight would be helpful. :)

-- 
Martin H. Bosworth
Technical Writer, Telemedicine Directorate
Walter Reed Army Medical Center (http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/)
Writer/Editor, ConsumerAffairs.com (http://www.consumeraffairs.com)

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