Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- . Sakineh Saghaeiannejad‑Isfahani
- . Rohollah Sheikh Abumasoudi
- . Nazila Esmaeli
- . Taherh Saberi
- . Narges Mahmodi
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Hospital websites are one of the most important communication and information
distribution tools in hospitals. Evaluation of hospital websites based on different aspects including
design, content, accessibility, and other related criteria can determine hospitals’ situation in the use
of novel information technologies. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate public hospital websites of
Isfahan using WebMedQual approach.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is an applied study carried out using a survey method which
evaluated the public hospital websites of Isfahan using WebMedQual scale in the year 2015. Validity
and reliability of the scale was confirmed. This scale includes 8 main components, 8 subcomponents,
95 items, and 3 supplementary questions. The study population included 17 public hospital websites
in the city of Isfahan. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 software.
RESULTS: Based on the general score of WebMedQual scale, the websites of Noor and Ali Asghar
hospitals with 42.21% had the highest and the website of Ibn Sina hospital with 22.81% had the
lowest score. Findings also showed that among eight factors used in this scale, design with 59.96%
and accessibility with 44.70% had the highest average scores. On the other hand, source credibility,
user support, and privacy have the lowest average scores with averages of 22.87%, 21.56%, and
1.63%, respectively. The total average score of all factors was 31.94%.
CONCLUSION: Scores showed that based on WebMedQual, public hospital websites in Isfahan
have low quality. Therefore, it is necessary to review and make corrections regarding privacy and
confidentiality guidelines, update website information, website content (clinical content and other
contents) and website writers, and provide forums and other design‑related factors for these websites.
Keywords
ODP and YAHOO web site guides in the field of library science
and information based on content and performance criteria. Libr
Inf Sci 2008;37:25‑39.
2. Lundeen JD, Warr RJ, Cortes CG, Wallis F, Coleman JJ. The
development of a clinical peer review tool. Nurs Educ Perspect
2018;39:43‑5.
3. Fasugba O, KoernerJ, Bennett N, Burrell S, LaguitanR, Hoskins A,
et al. Development and evaluation of a website for surveillance of
healthcare‑associated urinary tract infections in Australia. J Hosp
Infect 2018;99:98‑102.
4. Moradi G, Ahmadi M, Zohoor A, Ebadi Fardazar F. Structure and
Content analysis of selected educational hospitals in 2007. Health
Inf Manage 2008;4:175‑84.
5. Inthiran A, Macredie RD. Older Adults’ Perception of
Online Health Webpages Using Eye Tracking Technology.
InInternational Conference on Information Theoretic Security
2018 Jan 10 (pp. 531‑537). Springer, Cham.
6. Baumel A. Making the case for a feasible evaluation method of
available E‑mental health products. Adm Policy Ment Health
2018;45:1‑4.
7. Olteanu A, Peshterliev S, Liu X, Aberer K. Web credibility:
Features exploration and credibility prediction. 35th European
Conference on Advances in Information Retrieval 24‑27 March,
2013. Moscow, Russia; 2013.
8. O’Loan LM, Alexander AM, Evans DM. Evaluation of a
self‑development programme for hospital pharmacy technicians.
Stroke 2018;13:57.
9. Kumar Singh K, Kumar P, Mathur J. Implementation of a model
for websites quality evaluation‑ DU website. Int J Innov Adv
Comput Sci 2014;3:27‑37.
10. Salarvand S, Sheikh Abumasoudi R, Kashani F, Samadbeik M,
Salarvand H. Assessing the necessitate quality indicators of
hospitals’ websites (A literature review). JHOSP 2016;15:87‑100.
11. Hagerty P. The metaverse pioneers and the colonization of
OpenSimulator. Metaverse Creat (New title: Virtual Creativity)
2012;2:97‑114.
12. Joaquín Mira J, Llinás G, Tomás O, Pérez‑Jover V. Quality of
websites in Spanish public hospitals. Med Inform Internet Med
2006;31:23‑44.
13. Shadpour P, Teimourpour B, Asadi R. (2013) Webometrics‑based
Analysis and Ranking of Iranian Hospital Websites, Int J Hosp
Res, vol 2 (2), Spring 2013, pages 77‑84.
14. Zahedi R, Taheri B, Shahrzadi L, Tazhibi M, Ashrafi‑Rizi H.
Quality of Persian addiction websites: A survey based on
silberg, discern and wqet instruments (2011). Acta Inform Med
2013;21:46‑50.
15. Khaleghi N, Davarpanah MR. Check the the website of Iranian
state general evaluation criteria. J Educ Psychol 2003;43:121‑43.
16. Jahanbakhsh M, Mithinfar M, Soghayannejad Esfahani S.
Comparative evaluation of websites of public and private
hospitals in Isfahan. Health Inf Manage 2018;14:199‑204.
17. Provost M, Koompalum D, Dong D, Martin BC. The initial
development of the webMedQual scale: Domain assessment
of the construct of quality of health web sites. Int J Med Inform
2006;75:42‑57.
18. Farhadpour R, Khalfabadi, R. Qualitative assessment of Iranian
children and adolescents’ websites using the web‑based QWAI
model. Q Natl Stud Libr Inf Organ 2014;26:91‑110.
19. KaickerJ, Debono VB, DangW, Buckley N, ThabaneL. Assessment
of the quality and variability of health information on chronic pain
websites using the DISCERN instrument. BMC Med 2010;8:59.
20. Griffiths KM, Tang TT, Hawking D, Christensen H. Automated
assessment of the quality of depression websites. J Med Internet
Res 2005;7:e59.
21. Ajili F, Hajiahmadi S, Mohammadi M. Websites of Iranian
Scientific Journals: Investing in structural content and visual
features in websites. Inf Res Public Libr 2017;23:265‑80.
)