Moses set up complex algorithms and statistical formulas to sort through the 250 or more potential causes of headaches and match up symptoms with the likely source of a patient's pain. For example, low-pitched ringing in the ears combined with a throbbing or pulsating headache will trigger the computer to warn of a possible aneurysm, a dangerous widening of an artery. A doctor can't remember everything and a computer can't forget. Let the computer do the busy work. Then the doctor can focus on the humanistic aspect of treatment.
Severe symptoms trigger the computer to halt the survey and direct the patient to see a doctor.
Patients judged to suffer from chronic headaches then answer questions about the intensity, frequency and site of the pain and provide their medical history. The survey also seeks to determine the patient's stress level by asking about career, debts, relationships, sleep and dietary habits, alcohol or drug use, and sexual issues. Over time, Moses intends to incorporate information gathered by the surveys themselves into the database. Surveys containing inconsistent answers are tossed out. And he wants to expand the Web site's diagnostic reach into other ailments such as sleep disturbances, nausea, dizziness, and depression.