Abstract
BackgroundOnline symptom checkers are increasingly used by patients however there is little published evidence of their effectiveness in real patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate how patients with inflammatory arthritis and inflammatory arthralgia use the internet to look for health information and to assess the advice given and diagnoses suggested by the NHS and WebMD symptom checkers in relation to the patients’ actual diagnoses.MethodsThirty-four patients with inflammatory arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis (n = 13), psoriatic arthritis (n = 4), unclassified arthritis (n = 4)) and inflammatory arthralgia (n = 13) newly presenting to a secondary care based clinic were identified using a consecutive sampling approach. Consenting patients were asked questions about their internet use in relation to their presenting symptoms. They then completed the NHS and the WebMD symptom checkers and their answers and the outcomes were recorded.ResultsSixteen patients had previously consulted the internet regarding their symptoms. Neither age nor gender significantly influenced internet usage. Actions advised via the NHS symptom checker were: call an ambulance (n = 11), attend A&E (n = 4), contact your GP straight away (n = 2), see your GP today (n = 6), or see your GP within 36 h (n = 11). The 5 most common differential diagnoses given by Web MD were gout (n = 28), rheumatoid arthritis (n = 24), psoriatic arthritis (n = 22), osteoarthritis (n = 18) and finger dislocation (n = 10). The most common first differential diagnosis was osteoarthritis (n = 12). Only 4 out of 21 patients with inflammatory arthritis were given a first diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis.ConclusionsOur data highlight that help seeking advice given online is often inappropriate and that the diagnoses suggested are frequently inaccurate. Recommendations to seek emergency advice may cause inappropriate healthcare utilization.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12891-016-1189-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Online symptom checkers are increasingly used by patients there is little published evidence of their effectiveness in real patients
The four groups were broadly comparable there were differences in swollen joint counts and DAS28 scores – explained by the fact that patients in the inflammatory arthralgia group had no swollen joints
This study found that the help seeking advice and diagnoses given by the symptom checkers tested was frequently
Summary
Online symptom checkers are increasingly used by patients there is little published evidence of their effectiveness in real patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate how patients with inflammatory arthritis and inflammatory arthralgia use the internet to look for health information and to assess the advice given and diagnoses suggested by the NHS and WebMD symptom checkers in relation to the patients’ actual diagnoses. The early introduction of disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) leads to significantly improved outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); in particular the first 12 weeks after symptom onset represent an important therapeutic window [1]. One way in which RA patients might try to determine whether they need to seek medical attention for the early symptoms of RA is by seeking information online. A recent UK survey of patients with newly presenting RA and unclassified arthritis showed that 37 % consulted the internet about their symptoms before seeking help from their GP (manuscript submitted)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
