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Correlating regional emergency epistaxis visits with internet search activity
Shane Griffith1, Robert Archbold2, Stephen Schell1
1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hamot, 201 State St, Erie, PA 16550, USA.
American Journal of Otolaryngology
|August 7, 2018
Summary
Internet searches for "nosebleed" strongly correlate with emergency department (ED) visits for epistaxis. This suggests Google Trends can offer rapid insights into regional disease burdens.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Digital Health
Background:
- Epistaxis, commonly known as nosebleeds, is a frequent reason for emergency department (ED) visits.
- Traditional epidemiological methods for tracking disease prevalence can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between online search trends for "nosebleed" and actual ED visits for epistaxis.
- To assess the potential of using internet search data as a proxy for disease burden.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Google Trends data for the search term "nosebleed" in Erie County, Pennsylvania, over five years.
- Collected epistaxis-related ED visit data using CPT codes from a single hospital during the same period.
- Performed cross-tabulation and correlation analysis between monthly search volumes and subsequent ED visits.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation (r = 0.655) was found between the volume of "nosebleed" searches and ED visits for epistaxis.
- The data indicate a strong association between public interest expressed through search engines and healthcare utilization.
Conclusions:
- Internet search activity for "nosebleed" is a reliable indicator of epistaxis-related ED visits.
- Google Trends data can serve as a valuable, rapid tool for estimating regional disease burdens and supporting epidemiological surveillance.
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