Accessibility of Slovenian Healthcare Institutions Websites

Purpose: Website accessibility is not equal for all- large group encountering barriers is the elderly population. Barriers to the access of online data in healthcare lead to health consequences and inequality. The purpose of our research was to overview the current findings on the healthcare institutions' accessibility and determine the extent to which they comply with the accessibility standards. Methods: A systematic review of the literature and quantitative analysis of 24 healthcare institution websites was performed. Quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive methods, Cochran Q test, hierarchical clustering with chi-square distance, Ward method, ANOVA, and post hoc Tukey test. Results: There is a lack of research on the accessibility of websites of healthcare institutions in Slovenia. Two-thirds of institutions in the healthcare system had websites, which didn´t meet even half of the basic level criteria. There were no significant differences between different types of institutions. Conclusion: Website accessibility standards are clear, available, and harmonized with legislation. The lack of compliance by the healthcare institutions in Slovenia is troublesome and possibly connected with low awareness of the digital divide consequences. Website accessibility should be considered a priority due to its important effects on the individual and society.