Online symptom checkers: recommendations for a vignette-based clinical evaluation standard
File(s)Painter_Online symptom checkers_JMIR.pdf (122.49 KB)
Published version
Author(s)
Painter, Annabelle
Hayhoe, Benedict
Riboli-Sasco, Eva
El-Osta, Austen
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The use of patient-facing online symptom checkers (OSCs) has expanded in recent years, but their accuracy, safety, and impact on patient behaviors and health care systems remain unclear. The lack of a standardized process of clinical evaluation has resulted in significant variation in approaches to OSC validation and evaluation. The aim of this paper is to characterize a set of congruent requirements for a standardized vignette-based clinical evaluation process of OSCs. Discrepancies in the findings of comparative studies to date suggest that different steps in OSC evaluation methodology can significantly influence outcomes. A standardized process with a clear specification for vignette-based clinical evaluation is urgently needed to guide developers and facilitate the objective comparison of OSCs. We propose 15 recommendation requirements for an OSC evaluation standard. A third-party evaluation process and protocols for prospective real-world evidence studies should also be prioritized to quality assure OSC assessment.
Date Issued
2022-10-01
Date Acceptance
2022-02-22
Citation
Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2022, 24 (10)
ISSN
1438-8871
Publisher
JMIR Publications
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Medical Internet Research
Volume
24
Issue
10
Copyright Statement
©Annabelle Painter, Benedict Hayhoe, Eva Riboli-Sasco, Austen El-Osta. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet
Research (https://www.jmir.org), 26.10.2022. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://www.jmir.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.
Research (https://www.jmir.org), 26.10.2022. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://www.jmir.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN e37408