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Methods Inf Med 2008; 47(02): 124-130
DOI: 10.3414/ME0474
DOI: 10.3414/ME0474
Original Article
A Comparison of Websites from Spanish, American and British Hospitals
Further Information
Publication History
Received:
06 February 2007
accepted:
01 October 2007
Publication Date:
18 January 2018 (online)
Summary
Objective: To evaluate and compare the user-orientation of Spanish, American and British hospital websites.
Methods: A descriptive study of 32 hospital portals (12 Spanish, 10 American and 10 British) was carried out in which the following were analyzed: website readability according to the Flesch Index, websites accessibility using the Web Accessibility Test, and the quality of information provided using the “e-Information Scale of Health Care Centers”.
Results: Fifty percent of the user-oriented information quality attributes are met. Readability indices tend to be below 60 (standard readability), and only 10 of the 32 websites meet the accessibility criteria.
Conclusions: Most portals exhibit accessibility problems that favor computer illiteracy. There is a wide variability in terms of website readability and in terms of useroriented content.
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