Information content of the websites of Health Information Management and Technology, and Medical Records departments in Iranian Medical Universities

Introduction: Due to the mission of the university websites for providing services to users, the effective design of their content leads to their efficient use. Among them are websites of educational departments which can contain valuable information for faculty members, students and other personnel. The objective of this study was to review the information content of Health Information Management and Technology Departments in Iran. Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study which has been performed on 14 websites in the winter of 2013. The information elements were gathered using a data collection form, validated by three Medical Informatics specialists, and the extent of their necessity was discussed in a focus group. The results were analyzed using SPSS 16. Results: In this study, a total umber of 36 information headings were extracted from the 14 evaluated websites. These elements were categorized in six information groups: the field, faculty members, research, educational, department performance and other information. The most cases were related to research and educational information (each with 22 percent) and the least were related to the field information (8percent). Eighty three percent of existing information elements was identified as necessary by the focus group. Conclusion: Information elements of educational websites were different either by their heading or by their information content. This difference can reduce the efficiency and cause user confusion in finding information. The results of this research can be used for design and improvement of educational websites by educational departments, webometric managers and designers of the websites.