Abstract No. 224 Evaluation of integrated interventional radiology residency websites: comparative cross-sectional analysis from 2017 to 2020

As programs transition from interventional radiology (IR) fellowships to the integrated IR residency model, residency websites are vital resources of program information for prospective applicants. Online resources also serve as an invaluable recruitment tool for residency programs. The objective of this investigation was to assess the availability and content of integrated IR residency websites and evaluate the progress that has been made since 2017. A complete list of programs participating in the 2021 integrated IR match was identified using the online AMA Residency Database. Program websites were located using Google and evaluated for the presence of 19 variables related to resident education and recruitment. If no program website was identified, a manual search of the institutional website was performed. The percent comprehensiveness of each locatable website was calculated based on the number of variables present. Website variables were assessed by geographic region and compared to previously collected data in 2017. Of the 89 programs participating in the 2021 match, 10% (9/89) of programs did not have an identifiable website. Examination of program websites revealed that 79% (63/80) had stand-alone IR websites distinct from the associated diagnostic radiology website. Across all 19 categories, the mean website comprehensiveness was 64%. This represents a significant increase from 33% in 2017 (P< 0.001). Mean website comprehensiveness of programs organized by geographic region in 2020 was significantly greater when compared to programs in the same regions in 2017 (Table). Overall, nine programs did not have locatable websites. Compared to previous data, overall website comprehensiveness improved by 31%. While improvements have been made in online content, many websites lack important content variables. Efforts should be made to improve digital resources to better inform and recruit prospective applicants.