Many would-be patients check their symptoms online using various websites and apps in an attempt to self-diagnose their problems, but those diagnoses are not always very accurate, according to a recent study published in The BMJ.
Researchers evaluated the accuracy of diagnosis and triage performance of 23 symptom checkers, such as iTriage, Mayo Clinic and WebMD. They used 45 standardized patient vignettes. The scenarios ranged from serious conditions like acute liver failure to a bee sting, according to an NPR report.
To assess the diagnosing accuracy of each checker, the research team noted if the correct diagnosis for the scenario was listed first or in the top 20. As for triage accuracy, the team categorized the advice offered into three groups: emergent (call an ambulance, go to the emergency department or see a physician immediately), nonemergent (call a physician, go to a retail clinic or urgent care facility) and self-care.
The results were not stellar: The correct diagnosis was listed first in 34 percent of patient evaluations, and accurate triage advice as given in 57 percent of all evaluations. Encouragingly, however, triage advice improved to 80 percent in emergent situations.
"People who use these tools should be aware of their inaccuracy and not see them as gospel," Alteev Mehrotra, MD, co-author of the study, told NPR.
However, one emergency medicine physician told NPR that he still recommends such tools to patients. "If used appropriately, these apps can help raise red flags so a patient is more proactive and seeks care in a timely fashion," he said. "Nailing the specific diagnosis right away isn't necessarily as important as nailing down, 'Do I need a healthcare provider?'"