Study On The Synthetical Evaluation Indicator System And Evaluation Model Of Hospital Websites In China

Background: With the rapid development of computer and network technology recent years, more and more institute, including governments, schools, academies, companies and medical service providers, have set up their online portals consecutively. At the same time, more and more consumers begin to search and get information and service through the Internet, enjoying the high efficiency and convenience brought by the Internet.As a place where health care service is conducted and lives are saving, hospital should not stay out of the tide of Internet. A growing number of hospitals have set up their websites, and websites are playing an important role as the extension of hospital service, platform of hospital work, and means of hospital propaganda and marketing. To establish a high quality website, hospitals usually make a huge investment and devote a large amount of manpower, materials and time, so it is necessary, important and helpful for hospitals to evaluate the quality of their websites. But at present researches on the evaluation of hospital websites are not many and among which the systematic, complete and normative ones are few and far between. Objective: The objective of the study is to construct an indicator system and model to systematically evaluate the quality of hospital websites by a systematic, scientific and normative managerial method. The second objective of the study is to assess the quality of some famous hospitals'websites in China using the indicator system and model constructed, to discuss the factors influencing the quality of hospital websites, to sum up good experience and achievements in developing hospital websites, and to propose measures for existing problems. The study will provide hospital leaders, hospital website developers, and website administrators with a valuable reference.Methods: The study can be divided into five parts. Part one is the introduction to the study. Part two is the development of the indicator system and model. Part three is the applied research of the indicator system and model developed. Part four is the case study of hospital websites. Part five is the conclusion of the study.In part two, kinds of common methods of management science are exerted synthetically. Firstly, based on an extensive literature review and expert consultation, according to the evaluation objective, we primarily design the dimension frame of evaluation indicator system. Secondly consult users'opinion on the system randomly through online and offline investigations. Thirdly translate the system into corresponding questionnaire and investigate 13 selected hospital websites actually. Adjustments are made to indicator system according to the result of investigation. Next, dimension frame and indicators of all levels are finally developed through two round of expert consultation. Next, calculate the indicator weight by using expert scoring method. Next, define the quantitative method of each indicator (especially the qualitative indicators), as well as the boundary and grade through in-depth discussion. At last, according to evaluation method and characteristics of data, build synthetical evaluation model through document survey and extensive discussion. Thus, the evaluationindicator system and model is finally established. Part three is the part of applied research– apply the evaluation indicator system and model to the investigation of some famous hospitals'websites in China and conduct analysis and discussion. The selection of sample hospital is according official and unofficial domestic vote program and experts'experience. Select about 510 hospitals and input their names in the Google and Baidu to search their websites. Hospitals have no websites or have inaccessible websites at that time will be removed. A group of three pre-trained experienced reviewers reviewed and analyzed the websites of 328 nationally well-known hospitals in July to November, 2009, using objective criteria based on website content, function, design and management & maintenance. Use Microsoft Excel to establish database, use SPSS 14.0 to process and analyze data. Kinds of statistical methods were applied to the part.Part four is case study. In this section, two typical hospitals'websites were selected. According to the developed criteria, from the perspective of single hospital website, reviewers described their features and discussed related questions.Part five is conclusion part. In this section, main arguments, creative point, and future work are generalized.Results: Construct a synthetical indicator system for the evaluation of hospital websites including 4 dimension and 51 sub-indicators. The four dimensions are: website content, website function, website design and website management & maintenance. Statistical analysis indicates that the indicator system has acceptable reliability and validity.The evaluation research on some famous hospitals'websites of the country show that: the average score of these websites is 73.92 which is of middle quality level; in the 328 hospital websites, the highest score is 93.30, the lowest score is 52.83; the quantity of websites get scores above than 90 is 8, taking up 2.5%; the quantity of websites get scores between 75 and 90 is 186, taking up 56.6%; websites between 60-75 is 123, taking up 37.5%; websites lower than 60 is 11, taking up 3.4%.According to 4 dimensions, the famous hospitals'websites performed well in content (average score is 80.16), performed normally in design (75.13), but performed dissatisfactory in function (66.25) and management & maintenance (70.10); according to 51 sub-indicators, hospital introduction, department introduction, doctor introduction, etc. have the highest average score; privacy & security, use guideline, online search, etc. have the lowest score.In the aspect of influential factors of hospital websites, the quality of hospital website isn't relevant to area, type, time of establishment, and economic type (ownership) of hospital; the quality of website has a sketchy positive correlation with grade & scale, affiliation of hospital; property of hospital is also an influential factor.Conclusions: The study for the first time constructs a synthetical evaluation indicator system through systematic, scientific and normative research method and procedure of management science. The system has satisfactory creditability, validity and sensibility, and can measure the quality of hospital website roundly and rationally. The system can be used directly for the assessment or self-evaluation of hospital website, and has good value of promotion and application.In the light of the system and model constructed, the study for the first time assesses and analyzes the quality of websites of 328 domestic famous hospitals. Results show that, on the whole, these websites of famous hospitals have relatively high level quality, but there are still many problems. Hospital websites need to be strengthened in function, as well as management and maintenance. Research results also show that differences exist between different scales, different affiliations, and different properties of hospitals, but there is no difference existing between different areas, between different types, and between different ownerships of hospitals.As the public increasingly looks to hospital websites for information and services, famous hospitals in China need to keep up with increasingly high standards and demands of healthcare consumers. The research is of high referential value and theoretical significance for the development of high quality hospital websites.