Dataset Information

Googling for a diagnosis--use of Google as a diagnostic aid: internet based study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine how often searching with Google (the most popular search engine on the world wide web) leads doctors to the correct diagnosis.

Design

Internet based study using Google to search for diagnoses; researchers were blind to the correct diagnoses.

Setting

One year's (2005) diagnostic cases published in the case records of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Cases

26 cases from the New England Journal of Medicine; management cases were excluded.

Main outcome measure

Percentage of correct diagnoses from Google searches (compared with the diagnoses as published in the New England Journal of Medicine).

Results

Google searches revealed the correct diagnosis in 15 (58%, 95% confidence interval 38% to 77%) cases.

Conclusion

As internet access becomes more readily available in outpatient clinics and hospital wards, the web is rapidly becoming an important clinical tool for doctors. The use of web based searching may help doctors to diagnose difficult cases.

SUBMITTER: Tang H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1676146 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Googling for a diagnosis--use of Google as a diagnostic aid: internet based study.

Tang Hangwi H Ng Jennifer Hwee Kwoon JH

BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 20061110 7579

<h4>Objective</h4>To determine how often searching with Google (the most popular search engine on the world wide web) leads doctors to the correct diagnosis.<h4>Design</h4>Internet based study using Google to search for diagnoses; researchers were blind to the correct diagnoses.<h4>Setting</h4>One year's (2005) diagnostic cases published in the case records of the New England Journal of Medicine.<h4>Cases</h4>26 cases from the New England Journal of Medicine; management cases were excluded.<h4>M ...[more]

PMID: 17098763

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Project description:ObjectiveTo assess five physical signs to see whether they can assist in the screening of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and potentially lead to quicker treatment.MethodsThis was a diagnostic accuracy study with inter-rater agreement assessment. Participants recruited from two National Health Service hospitals, local CFS/ME support groups and the community were examined by three practitioners on the same day in a randomised order. Two allied health professionals (AHPs) performed independent examinations of physical signs including: postural/mechanical disturbances of the thoracic spine, breast varicosities, tender Perrin's point, tender coeliac plexus and dampened cranial flow. A physician conducted a standard clinical neurological and rheumatological assessment while looking for patterns of illness behaviour. Each examination lasted approximately 20?min.ResultsNinety-four participants were assessed, 52 patients with CFS/ME and 42 non-CFS/ME controls, aged 18-60. Cohen's kappa revealed that agreement between the AHPs was substantial for presence of the tender coeliac plexus (?=0.65, p<0.001) and moderate for postural/mechanical disturbance of the thoracic spine (?=0.57, p<0.001) and Perrin's point (?=0.56, p<0.001). A McNemar's test found no statistically significant bias in the diagnosis by the experienced AHP relative to actual diagnosis (p=1.0) and a marginally non-significant bias by the newly trained AHP (p=0.052). There was, however, a significant bias in the diagnosis made by the physician relative to actual diagnosis (p<0.001), indicating poor diagnostic utility of the clinical neurological and rheumatological assessment.ConclusionsUsing the physical signs appears to improve the accuracy of identifying people with CFS/ME and shows agreement with current diagnostic techniques. However, the present study concludes that only two of these may be needed. Examining for physical signs is both quick and simple for the AHP and may be used as an efficient screening tool for CFS/ME. This is a small single-centre study, and therefore, further validation in other centres and larger populations is needed.

Project description:BackgroundThis study aims to investigate growing Internet use in relation to memory and cognition. Though literature reveals human capability to utilize the Internet as a transactive memory source, the formational mechanisms of such transactive memory systems are not extensively explored. The Internet's comparative effects on transactive memory and semantic memory are also relatively unknown.MethodsThis study comprises two experimental memory task survey phases utilizing null hypothesis and standard error tests to assess significance of results.ResultsWhen information is expected to be saved and accessible, recall rates are lower, regardless of explicit instructions to remember (Phase 1, N = 20). Phase 2 suggests the importance of order of attempted recall: depending on whether users first attempt to recall (1) desired information or (2) the information's location, subsequent successful cognitive retrieval is more likely to occur for (1) only desired information or both desired information and location thereof or (2) only desired information's location, respectively (N = 22).ConclusionsThis study yields several theoretical advances in memory research. The notion of information being saved online and accessible in the future negatively affects semantic memory. Phase 2 reveals an adaptive dynamic-(1) as Internet users often have a vague idea of desired information before searching for it on the Internet, first accessing semantic memory serves as an aid for subsequent transactive memory use and (2) if transactive memory access is successful, the need to retrieve desired information from semantic memory is inherently eliminated. By repeatedly defaulting to first accessing semantic memory and then transactive memory or to accessing transactive memory only, Internet users may form and reinforce transactive memory systems with the Internet, or may refrain from enhancing and decrease reliance on transactive memory systems by repeatedly defaulting to access only semantic memory; the formation and permanence of transactive memory systems are subject to users' will. Future research spans the domains of psychology and philosophy.

Dataset Information

Googling for a diagnosis--use of Google as a diagnostic aid: internet based study.

Objective

Design

Setting

Cases

Main outcome measure

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Googling for a diagnosis--use of Google as a diagnostic aid: internet based study.

Similar Datasets

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