A group of healthcare media industry vets has launched a patient-facing, ChatGPT-powered website they say is a breakthrough in the hunt for a better mobile symptom checker.
DxCheck is the first symptom-based content delivery platform that leverages ChatGPT-based artificial intelligence, according to its creators.
The tool is designed to enable faster and more accurate results than the leading search engine. Organizers claim the site’s clean, simple interface arms users with verified health content that eventually will lead to a proper physician diagnosis.
Patients will “no longer go down a rabbit hole,” said Barbara Read, chief revenue officer at AdPrime, the ad-tech platform and publishing partner which is bringing DxCheck to market.
In using the service, visitors type symptoms into a free-form text box, along with any pre-existing conditions and demographic information. The technology scours medical databases to produce a list of potential diagnoses, which the AI ranks by estimated likelihood.
Depending on how deeply one dives into results, the site also recommends next steps ranging from guidance on treatments to dietary/lifestyle changes and other useful information. With an email opt-in, the site can send users a doctor discussion guide and ongoing educational materials.
“We can layer in [pre-existing] symptoms and give better guidance,” said Read. “It’s all about talking to your doctor, not just, ‘Good luck with that, see you later.’”
That’s the theory, anyway. While it may seem like a relatively straightforward task, providing patients with an intuitive, concise and user-friendly tool that assesses symptoms and provides healthcare resources has been anything but.
Google has been trying to overhaul the way people access healthcare information online since before the pandemic. Major shortcomings remain, though, considering the glut of misleading and/or dangerous health advice that typically awaits anyone who turns to “Dr. Google.”
The search giant has said it’s aware of these criticisms. But last month, when it showcased its own diagnostic chatbot, Google admitted that significant gaps remain before the “large language model” it’s building to accurately answer medical questions and provide reasoning can work in a real-world setting.
The team behind DxCheck says their consumer-facing symptom-checker, powered by the same OpenAI model as ChatGPT, is ready for prime time. The site’s results have been vetted by physicians and there are no page or ad refreshes that can hamper the user experience (UX).
Already on its fourth iteration, the site is ready to seek ad partners in the pharma space. They, too, are clamoring for a better UX. The team behind DxCheck consists of those working for digital health publishers and health media platforms in various capacities, from ad sales and media buying to engineering and technology.
“We’ve been listening” to pharma, Read said. “What they’re looking for is a way of getting information in a speedy and concise way to patients.”
DxCheck’s content is unalterable and thus brand-safe, she added. Brands can also collaborate on creating custom content and can be the sole sponsor of disease state information on a first come, first served basis.
Sponsorships offer agencies and brands the ability to collect first-person market research — including behavioral, geographic and demographic data — and to work with the ChatGPT technology in what Read termed “a safe and HIPAA-compliant environment.”
In addition, DxCheck offers a programmatic DSP designed to enable ad partners to reach targeted audiences beyond the site.
“That’s how we do audience development,” she explained.
DxCheck isn’t your father’s mobile symptom checker. Considering the frustration with current offerings, that may be reason enough to give it a try.
