Aboueid Stephanie, Meyer Samantha B, Wallace James R, Mahajan Shreya, Nur Teeyaa, Chaurasia Ashok
Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
BMJ Innov. 2021 Apr;7(2):253-260. doi: 10.1136/bmjinnov-2020-000498. Epub 2021 Jan 29.
Symptom checkers are potentially beneficial tools during pandemics. To increase the use of the platform, perspectives of end users must be gathered. Our objectives were to understand the perspectives and experiences of young adults related to the use of symptom checkers for assessing COVID-19-related symptoms and to identify areas for improvement.
We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with 22 young adults (18-34 years of age) at a university in Ontario, Canada. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
We identified six main themes related to the decision of using a symptom checker for COVID-19 symptoms: (1) presence of symptoms or a combination of symptoms, (2) knowledge about COVID-19 symptoms, (3) fear of seeking in-person healthcare services, (4) awareness about symptom checkers, (5) paranoia and (6) curiosity. Participants who used symptom checkers shared by governmental entities reported an overall positive experience. Individuals who used non-credible sources reported suboptimal experiences due to lack of perceived credibility. Five main areas for improvement were identified: (1) information about the creators of the platform, (2) explanation of symptoms, (3) personalised experience, (4) language options, and (5) option to get tested.
This study suggests an increased acceptance of symptom checkers due to the perceived risks of infection associated with seeking in-person healthcare services. Symptom checkers have the potential to reduce the burden on healthcare systems and health professionals, especially during pandemics; however, these platforms could be improved to increase use.
症状检查工具在疫情期间可能是有益的工具。为了增加该平台的使用，必须收集终端用户的观点。我们的目标是了解年轻人在使用症状检查工具评估与新冠病毒相关症状方面的观点和经历，并确定需要改进的方面。
我们在加拿大安大略省的一所大学对22名年轻人（18 - 34岁）进行了半结构化定性访谈。访谈进行了录音、转录，并采用归纳主题分析法进行分析。
我们确定了与使用症状检查工具来判断新冠病毒症状的决定相关的六个主要主题：（1）症状的存在或症状组合，（2）对新冠病毒症状的了解，（3）对寻求面对面医疗服务的恐惧，（4）对症状检查工具的认知，（5）偏执，以及（6）好奇心。使用政府实体分享的症状检查工具的参与者总体体验良好。使用不可信来源的症状检查工具的人由于缺乏可信度而体验不佳。确定了五个主要改进方面：（1）平台创建者的信息，（2）症状解释，（3）个性化体验，（4）语言选项，以及（5）检测选项。
本研究表明，由于寻求面对面医疗服务存在感染风险，症状检查工具的接受度有所提高。症状检查工具有可能减轻医疗系统和卫生专业人员的负担，尤其是在疫情期间；然而，这些平台可以改进以增加使用。
