Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Aug 5, 2024
Date Accepted: Apr 15, 2025
Temporal Relationship Between Internet Search Volumes for Diarrhea Synonyms Using ChatGPT and Emergency Department Visits for Diarrhea-Related Symptoms in South Korea
ABSTRACT
Background:
Diarrhea, a common symptom of gastrointestinal infections, can lead to severe complications and is a significant cause of emergency department (ED) visits.
Objective:
This study explored the temporal correlation between Internet search volumes for diarrhea and its synonyms and ED visits for diarrhea-related illnesses.
Methods:
We used data from the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) and NAVER, South Korea’s leading search engine, from January 2017 to December 2021. After identifying diarrhea synonyms using ChatGPT, weekly trends in relative search volumes (RSVs) for diarrhea and its synonyms were compared with the weekly ED visit data. Pearson’s correlation analysis and Granger causality tests were used to assess the relationship between RSVs and ED visits. The study also examined the age distribution of search behaviors and ED visits.
Results:
A significant correlation was found between average weekly RSVs for diarrhea-related terms and weekly ED visits for diarrhea-related illnesses. Terms such as "upset stomach," "watery diarrhea," and "acute enteritis" showed stronger correlations with ED visits than the general term "diarrhea." Notably, searches for these specific terms were significantly related to ED visits with diarrhea-related symptoms 1 and 2 weeks prior. The age group of over 50 years showed the highest activity in both online searches and ED visits for diarrhea-related symptoms.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates that RSVs for diarrhea synonyms correlate with diarrhea-related ED visits. By encompassing a nationwide scope, this study not only broadens the existing methodology for syndromic surveillance using ED data, but also provides valuable insights for clinicians.
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