Development of an Automated Triage System for Longstanding Dizzy Patients Using Artificial Intelligence (2024, Romero-Brufau)
The article supports the core idea behind Dizzy Care Network: dizziness is often complex, and care-seekers may need help getting to the right type of clinician sooner. The study tested whether information from an online previsit questionnaire could help guide patients with longstanding dizziness toward appropriate specialty care. An expert clinician panel reviewed patient information and created “ideal” consultation pathways. The researchers then compared those expert recommendations with both the existing manual triage process and a first-generation machine learning algorithm. The algorithm showed similar or better agreement with expert triage than the manual process, with a mean concordance of 79% compared with expert panel recommendations.
Permanent Link: https://doi.org/10.1002/oto2.70006
Why is this research important for dizziness care?
This research is important because dizziness is often hard to sort out at the first point of care. People with dizziness often need different types of clinicians, testing, or treatments. Some may need care from an otolaryngologist, neurologist, audiologist, vestibular therapist, psychiatrist, or another specialist, depending on their symptoms and history.
This study shows that information collected before the visit through a structured questionnaire can help guide patients toward more appropriate specialty care. The research also supports a key idea behind Dizzy Care Network: care-seekers should not have to guess which clinician is the best fit. A carefully designed triage process can help reduce mismatched referrals, unnecessary visits, and delays in getting the right evaluation.
Key takeaways for Care Seekers
- Dizziness can have many different causes, so the right clinician may not be the same for every person.
- Detailed questions about your symptoms can help identify which type of clinician may be the best fit for your care.
- Online questionnaires should not replace a medical exam, formal testing, or a diagnosis from a qualified clinician.
- A better matching process may help reduce unnecessary visits and help you get to the right care sooner.
Key takeaways for Clinicians
- Longstanding dizziness often requires multidisciplinary triage because symptoms may overlap across vestibular, neurologic, otologic, functional, and psychiatric conditions.
- Structured previsit questionnaires can help organize symptom history before the first clinical encounter.
- Algorithm-supported triage may improve referral relevance and reduce the burden of manual case review.
- These tools are best used to support clinical decision-making, not replace clinician judgment, diagnostic testing, or individualized care planning.
- Dizzy Care Network applies this care-navigation concept by helping match care-seekers to clinicians whose expertise is more aligned with the person’s reported symptoms and care needs.