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. 2022 Jun 14;4(5):269-275.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhsg.2022.05.004. eCollection 2022 Sep.

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

Samuel A Cohen  1 , Michelle Xiao  1 , Catherine M Curtin  2 , Jeffrey Yao  1
Affiliations

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

Samuel A Cohen et al. J Hand Surg Glob Online. .

Abstract

Purpose: The internet is an important information source for hand surgery fellowship applicants. A previous analysis of hand fellowship websites in 2014 demonstrated they were often inaccessible and incomplete. Given the increased importance of virtual information, we performed an updated assessment of the accessibility and content of hand fellowship program websites.

Methods: Websites of 92 accredited hand surgery fellowship programs were evaluated for the following: (1) accessibility; and (2) the presence of 13 fellow recruitment and 13 fellow education criteria, as defined in prior studies. We used Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests to assess whether the geographic region, number of fellows, or affiliation with a top orthopedic hospital or medical school were associated with website content.

Results: Functional website links that redirect to the appropriate fellowship program website are provided for 47 (51.1%) of 92 programs on the American Society for Surgery of the Hand fellowship directory. All missing websites were accessible via independent Google searches. Fellowship program websites contained an average of 13.9 ± 4.4 total criteria (range, 3-23). Of the 15 criteria examined in both 2014 and 2021, there were significant (P < .05) increases in the prevalences of 4: current fellow(s), salary, social media links, and operative experience.

Conclusions: Despite a slight increase in accessibility since 2014, nearly half of hand surgery fellowship program websites remain inaccessible from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand directory. Program websites averaged approximately half of the criteria analyzed, with many websites failing to provide information deemed important by applicants.

Clinical relevance: Our study provides an impetus for improving the accessibility and content of hand surgery fellowship websites. A website that incorporates criteria examined in this study can serve as an effective recruitment tool by providing consistent baseline information that may help applicants decide which programs align with personal values and future career goals.

Keywords: Accessibility; Content; Fellowship; Hand; Website.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Accessibility of hand surgery fellowship program websites from the ASSH online directory.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Hand surgery fellowship program websites, sorted by total website content score (recruitment criteria + education criteria).
Figure 3
Figure 3
The prevalences of fellow recruitment criteria examined in both the 2015 Trehan et al study and the present study.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The prevalences of fellow education criteria examined in both the 2015 Trehan et al study and the present study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Hand Surgery Match. The Match, National Resident Matching Program. https://www.nrmp.org/fellowships/hand-surgery-match/
    1. Fellowship Directory. https://www.assh.org/applications/s/fellowshipdirectory
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    1. Embi P.J., Desai S., Cooney T.G. Use and utility of web-based residency program information: a survey of residency applicants. J Med Internet Res. 2003;5(3):e22. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Long T., Dodd S., Licatino L., Rose S. Factors important to anesthesiology residency applicants during recruitment. J Educ Perioper Med. 2017;19(2):E604. - PMC - PubMed

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