Study finds flaws in many state Health Department COVID-19 vaccine websites

Accessibility and Usability of State Health Department COVID-19 Vaccine Websites This qualitative study analyzes department of health websites for all 50 US states for accessibility and usability in obtaining COVID-19 vaccine eligibility information and appointments. JAMANetworkOpen

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allocates vaccines to individual states for distribution.¹ Individuals seeking COVID-19 vaccine eligibility information and appointments must locate the resources provided in their state, making state department of health websites a primary source of information.

Effective and equitable vaccine distribution depends, in part, on the accessibility and usability of these websites. Different levels of technology experience, reading abilities, and language preferences should not prevent individuals from obtaining needed vaccine information. Website usability should support determining vaccine eligibility, provide an indicator of when information was last updated, and provide web-based appointment scheduling and/or a wait-list and follow-up process.

The vaccine rollout has resulted in frustration and inequities among underserved racial/ethnic groups.^2,3 We analyzed each state’s department of health website for accessibility and usability challenges....

All websites were viewable by computer. Seven states (14%) did not enable complete smartphone viewability, and 9 states (18%) were English only. The mean (SD) web accessibility score was 82% (4%). Forty-seven states (94%) presented eligibility information with median (range) readability scores of 15.6 (9.5-38.9), and most (39 of 47 [83%]) did so at a post–high-school reading level (Figure 1).

Usability evaluation showed that 30 states (60%) had no indicator of when information was last updated. Of the 47 states providing eligibility information, most (27 of 47 [57%]) did not support verifying eligibility.

Although 25 states (50%) provided web-based appointment scheduling, the majority (23 of 25 [92%]) required the user to search multiple vaccine locations individually for availability, and only 3 states (6%) had a wait-list or follow-up option when no appointments were available (Figure 2). Nine states (18%) did not offer web-based scheduling or an option for a wait-list or follow-up.

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websites should support mobile access, offer information in multiple languages, and provide eligibility information in easier to comprehend language. Websites should maintain a last updated line, a clear wait-list or follow-up process, and should not require people to contact numerous vaccine sites for appointments. ..

Adhering to these practices will reduce frustration and improve vaccine distribution. ...