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Family practice residency program sites on the World Wide Web
G S Hoekzema1, C Kodner, J Deckert
1Mercy Family Medicine Residency, St John's Mercy Medical Center, St Louis, USA.
Family Medicine
|May 6, 1998
Summary
Family practice residencies are increasingly using websites, primarily for resident recruitment. While website content is similar, evaluating their success is still in early stages.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Digital Health
- Web Technology in Healthcare
Background:
- The World Wide Web is rapidly expanding.
- Family practice residencies are adopting web technology by developing websites.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey existing websites devoted to family practice residencies.
- To understand the development, content, and goals of these websites.
Main Methods:
- A national survey was distributed to 451 family practice residency directors.
- 113 residencies reported having an existing website.
Main Results:
- Seventy-four percent of websites were faculty-created, with 31% involving residents.
- Resident recruitment was the most successful goal, with 42% reporting moderate to very successful results.
- Most programs found it premature to evaluate website goals.
Conclusions:
- Family practice residencies have a growing web presence.
- Website development, content, and goals are consistent across programs.
- Evaluation of website success is in its nascent stages for most programs.