Assessment of Portuguese Hospitals’ Websites using HOSPI
Soares, Delfina, Sarantis, Demetrios and Carvalho, Joana (2024). Assessment of Portuguese Hospitals’ Websites using HOSPI. United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy Driven Eletronic Governance (UNU-EGOV).
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Sub-type Research report Author Soares, Delfina
Sarantis, Demetrios
Carvalho, JoanaTitle Assessment of Portuguese Hospitals’ Websites using HOSPI Publication Date 2024 Place of Publication Guimarães Publisher United Nations University Operating Unit on Policy Driven Eletronic Governance (UNU-EGOV) Pages LIII, 53 Language eng Abstract The European Commission has progressively prioritised digital information society initiatives over the past 15 years, with strategic frameworks like eEurope, i2010, and EU2020 driving technological transformation in public services. In healthcare, this evolution has fundamentally reshaped hospital websites from static information repositories to dynamic, interactive service platforms. Modern hospital websites are critical communication channels connecting healthcare organisations, patients, and stakeholders globally. These digital platforms are no longer merely informative but facilitate comprehensive online interactions and services. This digital transformation aligns closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The development of websites that better serve patients' needs is thus a key element in the evolution of hospital services provided through the Internet. To deliver the expected level of service, it is important to understand how users perceive and evaluate health sector web presence. It is a well-developed health institution website that is inclusive, has good usability, and promotes institution transparency, amongst other characteristics that directly contribute to SDGs. The Health Online Service Provision Index (HOSPI), now in its third edition in Portugal, contributes to research towards better health websites. It distinguishes itself for being inclusive of all the essential health sector website characteristics. HOSPI results from the development of an instrument that compiles a set of indicators used to evaluate hospitals’ websites. It offers hospital management aggregated and scientifically sound information to improve provided services, allows clients to compare and select health service providers, and assists health sector policymakers in monitoring and further developing eHealth policy. It is built on identifying relative evaluation dimensions and conceived measurements of health sector websites’ services. This report results from the third application of the HOSPI instrument to Portuguese hospitals. It presents a general picture of the website presence of Portuguese hospitals by detailing the results of applying it to 102 public and private hospitals´ websites between June and August of 2023. Hospital selection was based on the list provided by the Entidade Reguladora da Saúde (ERS) on their website for the National System for Health Evaluation (SINAS) from the list of 2021 and the National Health System webpage for public hospital selection. The evaluation was performed by direct observation of each website, guided by a set of criteria and indicators. The data collection method consisted of the aggregation of data from two different researchers, attributing to each sub-indicator value 0 or 1. Data was then manually compared, treated, and analysed. Results were calculated using a weight system that attributed a final score between 0 and 1 to each hospital website. The results presented in this document follow different approaches. Besides the global ranking of websites according to the final score, ranking by criterion is also provided: Criterion 1 – Content; Criterion 2 – Services; Criterion 3 - Community Interaction; and Criterion 4 - Technology Features. Also, segmented analysis by type of hospital (private and public), population distribution (large, medium and small regions), geographical area (islands, coastal and interior) and NUTS II1 regions are provided. In previous editions, there was also an analysis of results comparison with the SINAS assessment, but SINAS hasn’t been updated since 2021, making it outdated. With this being the third edition of the instrument application, a comparison with the previous editions (2021 and 2019) is also provided. The results achieved rank Grupo Luz in the first place. Ranked in second place is IPO do Porto Francisco Gentil. In third place stands Grupo CUF. Criterion 1 – Content focuses on the presence of information relevant to the user. It evaluates the quality, availability, relevance, completeness, and concise representation of specific information that is expected to be provided on a hospital website. Grupo Luz is ranked in the first position, followed by Hospital de Braga and Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental in the second and third positions, respectively. Criterion 2 – Services – is directed at the provision of personalised electronic services, including electronic healthcare scheduling, prescription renewal or drug acquisition, automation of hospital’s back-office procedures, forms availability on the website, electronic completion of administrative transactions and online appointments. In the first position ranked Grupo Luz. Ranked second are Grupo CUF, Centro Hospitalar Universitário Lisboa Central, IPO do Porto Francisco Gentil, Grupo Lusíadas, and Centro Hospitalar Póvoa de Varzim/Vila do Conde. The third position is divided between Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental, Hospital dos SAMS, Centro Clínico Champalimaud, and Hospital Escola da Universidade Fernando Pessoa. Criterion 3 – Community Interaction – describes the interaction between hospitals, patients and online communities on the web. Online communities often involve members providing content to the website and contributing in some way. Examples of such interactions include forums, complaint forms, interaction with the media, and the hospital’s marketing activities. Centro Hospitalar Universitário Cova da Beira ranked first for this criterion, followed by IPO do Porto Francisco Gentil in second and Hospital de Braga in third. Lastly, Criterion 4 – Technology Features – encompasses mainly technical items related to easy navigation, website quality, visual appeal, functionality, and reliability. The technology criterion is related to how the content and services are assembled and made available on a website. Ranking in the first position is Grupo Luz. Hospital de Braga and Hospital de Vila Franca de Xira occupy the second position. The third position belongs to Hospital de Sta. Maria - Porto. The results of this study are intended to foster and promote good practice sharing and application benefiting hospitals and their clients. From the results, it can be argued that there is still a road ahead for Portuguese hospitals to improve their web presence. Although it requires great effort from hospital administration and technical staff to implement a website that is easily accessible to every user, the benefits of such an endeavour will significantly impact the hospital's reputation and daily activity. Keyword HOSPI
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