An Update on the Accessibility and Quality of Online Information for Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Fellowships

Abstract

IntroductionThe internet is an important tool for applicants seeking information on pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellowship programs. Previous analysis of pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellowship websites demonstrated they were often inaccessible and incomplete. As such, the purpose of this study was to (1) perform an updated assessment of the accessibility and content of pediatric orthopaedic fellowship program websites and (2) compare the results to the previous study to discern temporal trends in website accessibility and quality. MethodsA list of pediatric orthopaedic fellowship programs was compiled from the San Francisco Match (SF Match) and the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA) online databases. All identified websites were evaluated for (1) accessibility and (2) the presence of 12 education and 12 recruitment criteria. These criteria were determined by prior fellowship website analyses and the needs of current fellowship applicants. Website accessibility and quality were compared with previously reported metrics. ResultsApproximately 91% of pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellowship programs had a functioning website. While the SF Match and POSNA databases listed nearly identical programs, there were discrepancies in the information provided by the two databases, and individual program website links provided on both databases were often nonfunctional. Fellowship program websites contained an average of 15.1 ± 3.9 total education and recruitment criteria (range: 3 -21). The most common education criteria featured on program websites included information about research, affiliated hospital information, and rotations. The most common recruitment criteria featured on program websites included program descriptions, contact information, and social media links. There was an increased frequency in nearly all education and recruitment criteria evaluated when compared with 2014 metrics. DiscussionAlthough website accessibility and content have improved since 2014, information on pediatric orthopaedic fellowship program websites remains incomplete, with many websites failing to provide information on criteria deemed important by fellowship applicants. In addition, many discrepancies exist between the SF Match and POSNA databases, the two primary sources of information for pediatric orthopaedic fellowship applicants. Increased consistency on pediatric orthopaedic fellowship websites and both the SF Match and POSNA databases may help applicants to better assess which programs to apply to and which programs to rank highly on their match list.

Analysis of Website Accessibility and Content for All 92 Accredited Hand Surgery Fellowship Programs in the United States: An Update

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Evaluation of the Content of Ophthalmology Fellowship Program Web sites

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An updated analysis of the content and accessibility of hand surgery fellowship websites and fellowship directories

“…Surgical oncology fellowship websites were analyzed a year after the onset of COVID-19, and similar gaps in information were still noted (Aryanpour et al 2022). Moreover, comparisons to previously published studies have discovered continued deficits in spine, foot and ankle, pediatric orthopaedics, and sports medicine (Gerlach et al 2021;Yayac, Javandal, and Mulcahey 2017;Cohen, Shea, and Imrie 2021;Khwaja et al 2020). While more fellowships have websites now (98%) than in 2015 (91%), accessibility remains relatively poor with no significant change to link status distribution since 2015 and, most notably, just over half of ASSH directory entries containing direct links to fellowship websites.…”