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

Introduction The 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.  Methods A 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. Results Approximately 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.  Discussion Although 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.