The internet is awash with health information, and for many, the first step when feeling unwell is to search their symptoms online. Everyday Health’s Symptom Checker, powered by Infermedica, offers a certified (CE marked class 1) tool designed to help users Input Symptoms And Get Diagnosis insights. This tool utilizes artificial intelligence, data science, and the expertise of physicians to analyze over 1,500 symptoms and 800 health conditions, providing a preliminary diagnosis and triage guidance. But how reliable is this process, and what makes this symptom checker stand out?
The Rigorous Process Behind the Symptom Checker’s Diagnostic Capabilities
Creating a reliable and accurate symptom checker is no simple task. Infermedica employs a comprehensive content development process to ensure the quality and trustworthiness of their tool. This starts with continuous analysis of the data collected by the symptom checker itself. Led by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Irv Loh, their team of data scientists and medical professionals constantly reviews statistical information to pinpoint areas where the tool’s knowledge base needs expansion or refinement. This data-driven approach ensures the symptom checker remains up-to-date and relevant.
Once areas for improvement are identified, medical content editors take over. They meticulously craft new content, backing every piece of medical information with original, reputable sources. This commitment to evidence-based information is crucial for building a tool that users can trust when they input symptoms and get diagnosis suggestions. To further guarantee accuracy, every piece of new content undergoes a peer-review process by another medical content editor. This validation step ensures all sources are correctly interpreted and potential areas for improvement are caught before the information reaches the user.
Validating Diagnostic Accuracy Through Clinical Testing
The validation process doesn’t stop at peer review. Infermedica’s doctors take the content a step further by developing literature-based clinical test cases. Drawing upon respected medical journals such as The BMJ, The New England Journal of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, and others, they create realistic patient scenarios to test the diagnostic engine. These clinical cases are then fed into the system to assess its accuracy in generating a preliminary diagnosis.
After integration into the medical database, the new content and diagnostic pathways are rigorously validated against the diagnostic engine. A medical specialist then meticulously verifies the newly created content, ensuring its clinical accuracy and relevance. Furthermore, data scientists play a crucial role in identifying and rectifying any potential technical issues, such as duplicate symptoms or inconsistencies in the data. Before being made available to users, the updated symptom checker undergoes regression testing to guarantee the tool’s overall stability and prevent any unintended consequences from the new content. Finally, a team of doctors manually tests the system to ensure its usability and accuracy from a clinical perspective. Only after passing these multi-layered checks is the content published, ensuring that when users input symptoms and get diagnosis results, they are based on the most rigorously validated information.
Conclusion: A Reliable Tool for Preliminary Symptom Assessment
Everyday Health’s Symptom Checker, powered by Infermedica, offers a robust and meticulously validated tool for individuals seeking to input symptoms and get diagnosis insights online. The detailed content creation and validation process, involving medical professionals, data scientists, and rigorous clinical testing, underscores the commitment to providing a reliable and helpful resource. While it’s crucial to remember that this tool provides a preliminary diagnosis and should not replace professional medical advice, the Symptom Checker offers a valuable first step in understanding potential health concerns.
