Frequently Asked Questions

What is SymptoMedix^tm?

SymptoMedix^tm, the medical information Division of Knowledge Industries, Inc. is a new venture that uses an interactive web-based Symptom Analyzer^tm to educate patients and empower them to participate effectively in their own care. The Symptom Analyzer^tm is a web-enabled tool that asks for key diagnostic information in the form of multiple-choice questions. Using artificial intelligence, statistical probability models, and validated medical expert knowledge, the Symptom Analyzer^tm infers which medical disorders are the most likely causes for the symptoms, ranked by probability. Accessible only through our clients’ systems or websites, this information can guide the patient’s care-seeking behavior and – without compromising privacy – can help our clients to direct the user’s attention to specifically targeted information.

What unique value does the Symptom Analyzer^tm offer to users?

There is a wealth of information available over the Internet, covering virtually every medical disorder. Users can get research reports, self-care advice, support groups, referrals to specialists and clinics, nonprofit organization contacts, even nutrition supplements and prescription drugs. But until they know what medical disorder they have, most of this information is virtually useless. The Symptom Analyzer^tm will bridge the gap between what users do know (symptoms, medical history, test results) and what they need to know to take action (a short list of likely disorders). Instead of searching blindly, users can focus on the disorders most relevant to your particular situation.

Is SymptoMedix^tm attempting to automate medical diagnosis?

Good question. While the Symptom Analyzer^tm uses the same kind of medical expertise and diagnostic reasoning that a trained physician uses, our results cannot be treated as a clinical diagnosis, because (1) nobody has actually seen the person, (2) no professional has confirmed the accuracy of the user’s inputs, and (3) there is some relevant information that cannot be captured by multiple-choice user responses. Diagnosis is a process, not a product, and the Symptom Analyzer^tm is only one valuable step in that process. Furthermore, our client as primary access channel determines how to use the probability-ranked list of disorders. The user may see only a set of references, recommended actions, or information links based on that information – at our client’s discretion.