Quality of Children's Hospital Websites
Author Information
Author(s): Terry Kind, Kathryn L Wheeler, Byanqa Robinson, Michael D Cabana
Primary Institution: Children's National Medical Center
Hypothesis
Do children's hospitals that are considered to provide high quality care also have Web sites that provide high quality access and content?
Conclusion
The study found that while leading children's hospitals have websites, many lack content specifically for children and adolescents.
Supporting Evidence
- One-third of the websites included content for children and adolescents.
- 24 out of 26 websites had health and disease-specific information.
- 92% of the websites had search options.
- Only 10% of the websites listed the date they were last updated.
Takeaway
This study looked at the websites of children's hospitals and found that many don't have enough information for kids, even though they are supposed to help families.
Methodology
A cross-sectional descriptive infodemiology study where two reviewers analyzed the websites of 26 children's hospitals using objective criteria.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the subjective nature of website evaluation and the limited criteria used.
Limitations
The study did not evaluate the accuracy of the health information provided on the websites.
Participant Demographics
Websites of 26 leading children's hospitals in the United States.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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