Can you know before you go? Information about disability accommodations on US hospital websites

Area of Science:

• Healthcare accessibility research
• Digital health information dissemination
• Disability inclusion studies

Background:

• People with disabilities (PWD) encounter significant barriers in accessing healthcare services.
• Hospital websites are key resources for PWD to assess accommodation availability.
• Current research lacks a comprehensive understanding of disability accommodation information on hospital websites.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the availability and scope of disability accommodation information on United States hospital websites.
• To identify patterns in how hospitals present accessibility details online.

Main Methods:

• A structured manual review of 445 non-specialty US hospital websites was conducted.
• Data extraction focused on specific accommodation details, policy mentions, and contact information.
• A stratified random sample of hospitals was selected using Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services data.

Main Results:

• Over 73% of hospital websites provided some accommodation information, but often limited to policy statements.
• Less than half of websites offered details beyond policies, averaging only 2.37 specific accommodations.
• Larger hospitals (300+ beds) were more likely to list non-policy accommodations; less than half provided a contact person.

Conclusions:

• Information regarding disability accommodations on hospital websites is notably insufficient.
• Enhanced and accessible communication is essential to uphold the rights of PWD to accessible healthcare.
• There is a critical need for hospitals to improve the transparency and detail of accommodation information online.