Anonymous symptom-reporting app to improve GP care
Observation Of The Use Of Digital Tools for Medical History-Taking in Primary Care and Utilization of Anonymous Routine Data for Health Services Research
This project will try to see how people of all ages use an app that records symptoms before GP visits by analyzing anonymized usage data from participating practices.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University Hospital Goettingen Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Göttingen, Lower Saxony) |
| Trial ID | NCT06761105 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
The project analyzes anonymized, retrospective usage data from a mobile app that guides patients through structured symptom questions on a tablet or other device and transfers the information to the practice electronic record. Data are provided by the app distributor and come from patients who used the tool in participating general practices in Lower Saxony. This cross-sectional, observational analysis aims to identify patterns of use and opportunities for further development of the tool and to inform health services questions such as consultation frequency and complaint patterns. No individual patient identifiers are used and the analysis focuses on routine, anonymous app data.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal participants are people of any age who use the symptom-recording app at a general practice that agreed to provide anonymized data, including children whose parents or guardians use the app.
Not a fit: Patients who do not use the app or who visit practices that did not agree to share data (or are outside Lower Saxony) are unlikely to be represented and therefore may not benefit from the findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help make pre-visit symptom collection more useful for GPs, leading to quicker, more focused consultations and potentially better care planning.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has demonstrated the usability of digital medical history tools, but evidence on their broader health services impact in routine GP settings remains limited and requires more real-world analysis.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * all patients that use the app in a general practice that agreed to provide data * all ages (including children if the app is used by parent or legal guardian) * all complaints chosen in the app Exclusion Criteria: * patients that use the app in a general practice that did not agree to provide data * patients that use the app in a general practice outside of the federal state Lower Saxony
Where this trial is running
Göttingen, Lower Saxony
- Department of General Practice — Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Frank Müller, MD PhD
- Email: frank.mueller@med.uni-goettingen.de
- Phone: +495513965663
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.