The Quality of Infectious Disease Hospital Websites in Poland in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Karol Król,Dariusz Zdonek

doi:10.3390/ijerph18020642

Abstract

The quality of healthcare service websites gains particular importance in the time of the pandemic, asthe popularity of electronic services grows. This applies to infectious disease hospitals as well, often on the front line of the effort against COVID-19. The paper aims to assess the quality of infectious disease hospital websites in Poland in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research covered 91 websites. The first stage was an analysis of selected technical attributes of the websites (including website performance, SEO quality, website availability, and mobile-friendliness) with selected online tools, such as Google PageSpeed Insights, Blink Audit Tool, Backlink Checker, andwebsite accessibility evaluation tool (WAVE). The data were then analyzed with statistical methods. The next step was to analyze the content of the websites. The research has shown that most of the websites were of satisfactory quality, apart from those that were not mobile-ready. The following keywords were found most often on the hospital websites: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, smear, specialist care clinic, isolation, telephone consultations, sample collection center, support, coronavirus, recommendations, patient registration, signs of disease. The research suggests that the quality of infectious disease hospital websites in Poland is significantly diversified in search engine optimization, mobile-friendliness, and needs of people at risk of digital exclusion.

Highlights

The number of healthcare providers who appreciate the potential of online services and who have improved their online presence has grown over the recent decade [1]
The research suggests that the quality of infectious disease hospital websites in Poland is significantly diversified in search engine optimization, mobile-friendliness, and needs of people at risk of digital exclusion
The authors assumed that infectious disease hospital websites are modernized regularly, which is reflected in their usability

Summary

Introduction

The number of healthcare providers who appreciate the potential of online services and who have improved their online presence has grown over the recent decade [1] Their websites are usually intended to provide information, but increasingly often, they offer functionalities for patients and healthcare administration [2,3]. Most people’s medical expertise is relatively limited Many find it difficult to comprehend complex intricacies of diseases, details of therapies, or preventive medicine. It is not uncommon for the availability of specialist healthcare services to be limited as well. These factors make informed health decision-making harder.

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Conclusion