Only the anxious ones? Identifying characteristics of symptom checker app users: a cross-sectional survey.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Symptom checker applications (SCAs) may help laypeople classify their symptoms and receive recommendations on medically appropriate actions. Further research is necessary to estimate the influence of user characteristics, attitudes and (e)health-related competencies.

Objective

The objective of this study is to identify meaningful predictors for SCA use considering user characteristics.

Methods

An explorative cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate German citizens' demographics, eHealth literacy, hypochondria, self-efficacy, and affinity for technology using German language-validated questionnaires. A total of 869 participants were eligible for inclusion in the study. As n = 67 SCA users were assessed and matched 1:1 with non-users, a sample of n

SUBMITTER: Wetzel AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10804572 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature