Table 3.

Symptom checkers (SCs): technology in relation to humans.

Theme, topic, and subtopic				SCs as inferior		SCs as harmful		SCs as beneficial		SCs as superior
Finding prediagnosis: comparison between SCs and physicians
	Performance of diagnosis
		Lower accuracy of SCs in diagnostics and triage	✓		N/Aa		N/A		N/A
		Physicians consider various sources of information	✓		N/A		N/A		N/A
		SCs provide a first sense of urgency	N/A		N/A		✓		N/A
	Relevance of the human factor
		SCs lack human factor	N/A		N/A		N/A		✓
		Human factor as a strength of physicians	✓		N/A		N/A		N/A
Layperson-technology relationship
	SCs as potential for layperson empowerment
		SCs might provide laypersons with knowledge	N/A		N/A		✓		N/A
		SCs might have layperson activating potential	N/A		N/A		✓		N/A
	SCs as potential harm for laypersons
		SCs' quality and liability still unclear	✓		N/A		N/A		N/A
		SCs might increase anxieties in laypersons	N/A		✓		N/A		N/A
(Impacts on) physician-patient relationship
	Disruptions of the physician-patient relationship
		Potential of changing roles	N/A		N/A		N/A		✓
	Uncontested role of HCPsb
		Improvement of relationship	N/A		N/A		✓		N/A
		HCPs remain the primary source of trustworthy information	✓		N/A		N/A		N/A
Impacts on HCPs’ tasks
	SCs reducing HCPs’ workload
		SCs could support repetitive and less-complicated tasks	N/A		N/A		✓		N/A
		SCs could enable physicians to concentrate on other tasks	N/A		N/A		✓		N/A
	SCs increasing HCPs’ workload
		SCs might cause unnecessary contacts	N/A		✓		N/A		N/A
		SCs might cause additional tasks during consultation	N/A		✓		N/A		N/A
Future roles of SCs in health care
	SCs transforming the work of HCPs
		SCs transform the roles of HCPs	N/A		N/A		N/A		✓
		SCs complement HCPs	N/A		N/A		✓		N/A
		SCs in competition with HCPs	N/A		✓		N/A		N/A
	SCs' impacts on the health care system
		Improved supply for patients	N/A		N/A		✓		N/A
		Potential overuse of service through patients	N/A		✓		N/A		N/A

^aN/A: not applicable.

^bHCP: health care professional.