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Enhancing Sustainability through Accessible Health Platforms: A Scoping Review

Author

Listed:
  • Domenica Ramírez-Saltos

    (Intelligent and Interactive Systems Laboratory, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador)

  • Patricia Acosta-Vargas

    (Intelligent and Interactive Systems Laboratory, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador
    Carrera de Ingeniería Industrial, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Aplicadas, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador)

  • Gloria Acosta-Vargas

    (Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170143, Ecuador)

  • Marco Santórum

    (Departamento de Informática y Ciencias de la Computación, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito 170525, Ecuador)

  • Mayra Carrion-Toro

    (Departamento de Informática y Ciencias de la Computación, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito 170525, Ecuador)

  • Manuel Ayala-Chauvin

    (Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Humanas y de la Educación, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Ambato 180103, Ecuador)

  • Esteban Ortiz-Prado

    (One Health Research Group, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador)

  • Verónica Maldonado-Garcés

    (Facultad de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170143, Ecuador)

  • Mario González-Rodríguez

    (Intelligent and Interactive Systems Laboratory, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador)

Abstract

The digital transformation of healthcare platforms has ushered in a new era of accessibility, making health information and services widely available. This comprehensive scoping review delves into the accessibility landscape of health platforms by analyzing 29 carefully selected research articles. These studies employ automated tools and manual evaluations to evaluate platform accessibility comprehensively. This study revealed that (52%) of these articles are based on automated methods, while 34% combine automated and manual approaches. Most studies show compliance with the latest versions of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), with a significant focus (70%) on compliance with level A. This study reveals recurring issues within the perceivable operable, understandable, and robust categories, underscoring the pressing need for strict the accessibility testing of health platforms. This study demonstrates substantial agreement between raters, reinforced by a Cohen’s kappa coefficient of 0.613, indicating their reliability in classifying the articles. Future efforts should persist in refining accessibility standards, advocating for compliance with the WCAG, exploring innovative methods to assess the accessibility of healthcare platforms, and conducting user-centered research. This review highlights the paramount importance of ensuring equitable access to health information and services for people, regardless of their abilities or conditions, which resonates significantly with the issue of sustainability in healthcare and its socioeconomic and environmental implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Domenica Ramírez-Saltos & Patricia Acosta-Vargas & Gloria Acosta-Vargas & Marco Santórum & Mayra Carrion-Toro & Manuel Ayala-Chauvin & Esteban Ortiz-Prado & Verónica Maldonado-Garcés & Mario González-, 2023. "Enhancing Sustainability through Accessible Health Platforms: A Scoping Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-38, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:22:p:15916-:d:1279724
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Alla Mostepaniuk & Turgay Akalin & Mohammad Reza Parish, 2023. "Practices Pursuing the Sustainability of A Healthcare Organization: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-21, January.
    2. Elena Fernández-Díaz & Patricia P. Iglesias-Sánchez & Carmen Jambrino-Maldonado, 2020. "Exploring WHO Communication during the COVID 19 Pandemic through the WHO Website Based on W3C Guidelines: Accessible for All?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-17, August.
    3. Patricia Acosta-Vargas & Sylvia Novillo-Villegas & Belén Salvador-Acosta & Manuel Calvopina & Nikolaos Kyriakidis & Esteban Ortiz-Prado & Luis Salvador-Ullauri, 2022. "Accessibility Analysis of Worldwide COVID-19-Related Information Portals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-15, September.
    4. Jinat Ara & Cecilia Sik-Lanyi, 2022. "Investigation of COVID-19 Vaccine Information Websites across Europe and Asia Using Automated Accessibility Protocols," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-45, March.
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