Accuracy of online symptom checkers

Accuracy of online symptom checkers

Like every other new trend on the internet, the online symptom checker has also been welcomed by the web audience with open arms. An increasing number of internet users are using the online symptom checker to identify the type of medical condition they might be suffering. Even as this tool is helpful to some and is easy to access, it has its loop holes.

An online symptom checker possesses the capability to provide you with a probable disease or illness you might be suffering from based on the symptoms you enter in the form. But, how accurate are the results from these tools? This question has been widely discussed in many medical institutions and schools. The accuracy of the online symptom checker cannot be gauged until there is a thorough research on the platform, its credibility and how it’s algorithm. Some online symptom checkers have a high accuracy according to researchers. For example, online symptom checkers like Symcat and Isabel have a high accuracy rate of above 65%, according to some researchers.

A research on the accuracy of these tools:

A set of researchers compiled a list of diseases from various categories and a standard list of symptoms that are used by medical colleges to educate their students about the diseases. They checked these symptoms on the tools and found that the correct diagnosis was listed at the top in 34% of the cases, in the top 3 in about 51% and in the top 20 in about 58% of the cases.

Overall, the 23 online symptom checkers that were tested displayed the correct diagnosis in almost 58% of the cases. This percentage was better in the category of emergency/critical cases; the success rate was above 75%. Apart from this, the internet search engine succeeded in providing medical treatment centers in about 64% of the searches.

Trust factor with online symptom checkers:

An online symptom checker is used widely by both practitioners as well as patients, and it plays an important part in diagnosing the disease. As a patient, it is important to believe the results of an online symptom checker only to a certain extent; you must consult a doctor in any case for further assistance. As a practitioner, you must have an idea of how often you must refer to an online symptom checker and how much of the diagnosis you must include in your treatment process.

Online symptom checkers are significant to both practitioners and patients and have helped them effectively in many cases.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.
Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.
How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.
All You Need to Know about Cat Food

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.