Anamnesis via the internet--prospects and pilot results

A comprehensive computerized questionnaire was developed to obtain the anamnesis of patients seeking contact with a physician for any type of new problem. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate if a structured questionnaire filled out by the patient and complementing an interview at the physician's office would contribute to a better quality of the total anamnesis and/or lead to savings in time at the visit. The results encourage further developments in this direction. The potential uses proposed are, in addition to being used to improve a visit, the correct assessment of the history for prioritization and scheduling of visits and in some situations, the anamnesis obtained over the net may be the basis for medical advice without a visit. This study emphasizes the great improvement of information captured by this type of questionnaire based on medical knowledge about associated symptoms and relevant questions depending on the problem presented compared to the results obtained by a simple open question used in many e-health services today.