Critical Analysis of Hematology and Oncology Fellowship Web Sites in the United States.

Abstract

Prospective hematology-oncology fellowship applicants use program Web sites as a critical source of information. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current content and comprehensiveness of hematology-oncology fellowship Web sites and to identify specific areas for improvement. This study assessed the presence of 27 commonly evaluated program and application and curriculum and training informational items for Web sites of all accredited hematology-oncology fellowship programs in 2018. The comprehensiveness score was calculated as the number of items present on a fellowship Web site out of 27 and was compared by program region and size using analysis of variance and two-tailed t tests. Of the 143 fellowship Web sites evaluated, the mean comprehensiveness score was 39.3% (10.6 ± 3.8 out of 27). Programs contained a mean of 42.1% (5.9 ± 2.3 out of 14) of program and application and 36.2% (4.7 ± 2.1 out of 13) of curriculum and training items. The program and application items most common among Web sites were program coordinator contact and faculty listing (83.2% and 74.1% of Web sites, respectively), whereas social events and salary and benefits were less common (31.5% and 20.3% of Web sites, respectively). Prevalent curriculum and training items were research publications and activity and rotation scheduling (86.0% and 81.1% of Web sites, respectively), whereas board examination pass rates and fellow call duties were uncommon (4.2% and 15.4% of Web sites, respectively). Large programs were associated with greater overall Web site items compared with small programs (43.0% [11.6 ± 4.1 out of 27] v 35.9% [9.7 ± 3.3 out of 27]; P = .003). Hematology-oncology fellowship Web sites vary considerably in the level and nature of content they contain. Because applicants rely on online information for decision making, more comprehensive online content may promote a better fit between program and applicant. There is room for improvement in hematology-oncology fellowship Web sites, and programs may consider directing resources toward enhancing these Web sites.