Web accessibility of Internet appointment scheduling in primary care

Abstract

Objective: To assess the accessibility level of Internet appointment scheduling in primary care and the fulfilment of the requirements of Spanish legislation. Method: Descriptive study of the accessibility of 18 web sites corresponding to the autonomic health services responsible for Internet appointment scheduling for primary health care services. The level of web accessibility was evaluated by means of five automated tools. Results: Only six websites self-declared to be in compliance with level AA of WCAG 2.0. The level of web accessibility according to the legal requirements in Spain is low. The evaluation tools identified the main errors to be corrected. Conclusions: Most of the autonomic health services responsible for Internet appointment scheduling in primary care need to improve their level of web accessibility and ensure that it complies with Spanish legislation.