Tailored Internet Information Supply for Patients

Health & Life Sciences University, Tryol

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Headache

Treatments: Other: Expert system guided tailored information

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00746408

GW Diss 3000490

Details and patient eligibility

About

Medical expert systems in combination with portal searching meta-search engines are exploited to provide reliable patient-tailored information. A prototype of a web-based information system has been developed and is to be evaluated. Its aim is to answer the decisive question whether expert system guided internet meta-search provides a better information supply for patients seeking health information online then this is possible by using ordinary search engines or health portals. The research does neither investigate the influence of ethical nor legal aspects of internet health information supply.

Enrollment: 500 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 75 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age between 18 and 75
• Suffers at least occasionally from headaches
• Has internet access
• Has not obtained a medical diagnosis (concerning this headache) by a physician, yet

Exclusion criteria

• Age under 18
• Age over 75
• Does never suffer from headaches
• Has no internet access
• Has already gotten a medical diagnosis for her/his headaches

Trial design

500 participants in 4 patient groups

Main 1

Description:

Insurants of the health insurance company BARMER using the prototype to receive expert system guided tailored internet information about the type of headache they suffer from.

Treatment:

Other: Expert system guided tailored information

Main 2

Description:

Insurants of the health insurance company BARMER using search engines and portals to gather internet information about the type of headache they suffer from.

Online 1

Description:

Internet users using the prototype to receive expert system guided tailored internet information about the type of headache they suffer from.

Treatment:

Other: Expert system guided tailored information

Online 2

Description:

Internet users using search engines and portals to gather internet information about the type of headache they suffer from.