Is Self-triage by Patients Using a Symptom-checker Safe?

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Triage
• Interventions: Device: SMASS-Triage

• Registration Number: NCT04055298
• Lead Sponsor: Andreas Meer

Brief Summary

This is a prospective, non-randomized, no placebo-controlled interventional study.

The study aims to assess the safety of the web-based symptom checker SMASS-Triage and its tolerability in terms of incidence of under-triaged self-assessments and the potential risk to be life-threatening or harmful.

The patient's self-triage using a symptom checker will be compared with the urgency assessments conducted sequentially by three interdisciplinary panels of physicians (panel A, B and C). The risk assessments will be based on the structured reports generated by the symptom checker and the discharge summaries of the WIC/ED.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2019-08-10
• Study First Submitted QC: 2019-08-12
• Study First Posted: 2019-08-13
• Study Start: 2019-11-21
• Primary Completion: 2020-05-01
• Study Completion: 2022-12-31
• Status Verified: 2023-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-02-28
• Last Update Posted: 2023-03-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 2500

Inclusion Criteria

• All German-, French-, Italian-, English-speaking patients attending the WIC/ED are eligible.
• Informed Consent as documented by signature ( Informed Consent Form)
• Age 18-years and older
• Capable of judgment
• Not under tutelage

Exclusion Criteria

• Patients with an Emergency Severity Index 1
• Leading complaint of the patient can't be found and assessed with the symptom checker
• Patients not being able to use a tablet-computer
• Patients not speaking German, French, Italian or English
• Minors under the age of 7-years
• Patients incapable of judgment
• Participants under tutelage
• Known or suspected non-compliance, drug or alcohol abuse,
• Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the participant

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Patients	SMASS-Triage	The study will be performed at the Walk-in-Clinic (WIC) and Interdisciplinary Emergency Department (ED) of the cantonal hospital of Baden, Switzerland. During their stay at the WIC or ED the patients will be invited to use the triage-symptom-checker SMASS-Triage. In this study, the patient's self-triage using a symptom checker will be compared with the urgency assessments conducted by three interdisciplinary panels of physicians (panel A, B and C). In order to appropriately reflect the complex interaction in medical decision-making, which usually leads to a low inter-rater reliability, the cases assessed to be undertriaged by panel A, are subsequently assessed a second time by two panelist of panel B. Cases which are adjudged to be undertriaged by all panelist (panel A and B), are assessed for a risk to health or life by panel C. The risk assessments of panel C will be based on the structured reports generated by the symptom-checker and the discharge summaries of the WIC/ED.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Proportion of self-triage assessed to be a hazardous under-triage	Baseline	The primary endpoint will be the proportion of self-triage and the according confidence interval assessed by the physicians to be a hazardous under-triage.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Proportion of self-triage with an over- or under-triage	Baseline	Secondary endpoints will be the proportion of self-triage with an over- or under-triaged self-assessment.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Cantonal Hospital Baden; 🇨🇭 Baden, Aarau, Switzerland