How to Evaluate the Accuracy of Symptom Checkers and Diagnostic Decision Support Systems: Symptom Checker Accuracy Reporting Framework (SCARF)

Symptom checkers are apps and websites that assist medical laypeople in diagnosing their symptoms and determining which course of action to take. When evaluating these tools, previous studies primarily used an approach introduced a decade ago that lacked any type of quality control. Numerous studies have criticized this approach, and several empirical studies have sought to improve specific aspects of evaluations. However, even after a decade, a high-quality methodological framework for standardizing the evaluation of symptom checkers is still lacking.