Results of Virtual Health Network survey...

Ok .. while it may not have been the most scientific and quantitative survey a health care organization ever put out there, (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C3J7DFY) the results confirm what I and many of us have been seeing and saying, 735 responses is fairly significant. I tried doing screenshots of the bar graphs but could not get them into zity. Here's copy and paste of some of the summaries. Back to the Future. The pendulum is swinging...

Which method of temperature taking do you believe is most accurate?

Answered: 735 Skipped: 0

Oral Rectal Axila

Ear/Typanic/Dermal Strip, etc.

ANSWER CHOICES

Answered: 735 Skipped: 0

RESPONSES

Oral

8.57%

–

Rectal

88.57%

–

Axila

0.00% 0

–

Ear/Typanic/Dermal Strip, etc.

2.86%

TOTAL 735

Which method of temperature taking is used mostly FOR YOURSELF?

ANSWER CHOICES

Oral Rectal Axila

Ear/Typanic/Dermal Strip, etc.

ANSWER CHOICES

Answered: 735 Skipped: 0

RESPONSES

Axila

0.00% 0

–

Rectal

65.71%

–

Oral

25.71%

–

Ear/Tympanic/Dermal Strip, etc

8.57%

If you have children in the home which method of temperature taking do you use for them?

ANSWER CHOICES

Oral Rectal Axila

Ear/Typanic/Dermal Strip, etc.

ANSWER CHOICES

Answered: 730 Skipped: 5

RESPONSES

Ear/Tympanic/Dermal Strip/Etc.

26.67%

–

Oral

16.67%

–

Rectal

53.33%

–

Axila

3.33%

TOTAL 730 Skipped: 5

Not too surprised to see that most people believe RT is the most accurate (because it is a well known fact) but a little surprised to find such a high percentage of people actually using it on themselves (exception: Zity members, no surprise there) and family members. Of course these days the digital models are much quicker than the old glass and mercury jobs, so any discomfort is very short term for the accuracy payoff.

I tried doing screenshots of the bar graphs but could not get them into zity.

Pretty sure there's no way to do that - essentially amounts to inserting an image into the forum post, which today isn't possible (that I've found anyway). I always figured that was so we wouldn't start blowing up the server space with lots of images like you'd find on mainstream social media platforms like Gab or 4chan. That gets expensive in a hurry.

You can post an image in your own photo album under your Zity account profile, however:

https://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=info;ox=showinfo;id=8784

Very cool. I use surveymonkey for alot of my psychology projects. Super helpful and easy way to share link. I'm Rectal temp always especially when you can just feel the heat coming off someones forehead. The accuracy of the rectal temp beats the ear thermometer for sure. A little off topic, but a cool enema after to bring down temp too in addition to a cold wash cloth.

Holy cow, rectal temp is making a comeback even at home...I have to say if scared of a high fever taking the temp rectally could save someone's life and then a cool enema. Even my brother who is 16 said eh-neema instead of enema lol, but he said not to be embarrassed. It is normal. Shock of my life.

Great survey and just took it...ty for sharing!

I just took it. Thank you for sharing.

There is a difference between what is the most accurate and what provides sufficient accuracy. In most cases the added accuracy of rectal is not necessary.

I also have grave doubts that that survey is put out by an actual health care organization.

If rectal temps are making a comeback -it's not for the accuracy - it's for pleasure. Better is the enemy of good enough.

I'm very surprised to see the results. Are you sure that these are accurate and recent ? If so, that would indicate that rectal temps are still being used by many, at least in private. Any idea as to what segment of the population was surveyed, age groups, background, etc. ?

Moliere said

There is a difference between what is the most accurate and what provides sufficient accuracy. In most cases the added accuracy of rectal is not necessary.

I also have grave doubts that that survey is put out by an actual health care organization.

I whole-heartedly agree

>I also have grave doubts that that survey is put out by an actual health care organization.

Does it matter though? It's an objective survey, albeit with (so far) too small a sample size to reliably extrapolate for the general population, but for the five hundred who did respond it does point toward an unexpectedly high preference for RT over other methods.

It can be said that when the use of the glass thermometer was the only device used to take a temperature, a rectal temperature taken with a glass rectal thermometer was a response to a concern that a less functional person having a temperature could not be expected to keep a glass oral thermometer intact while placed in the mouth. Such a mishap would be uncommon with adults but with youngster it could be such a limitation could lead to a serious injury. The main criteria in which a youngster was required to have a temperature taken rectally with a glass rectal thermometer were primarily age and secondarily gender and that could vary from clinic to clinic and the person taking a youngster's temperature, These days, however, the overall functionality of the youngster should be the major consideration.

Of course, electronic thermometers have eliminated this concern. Unfortunately, issues of reliability of electronic thermometers including inconsistent results form non-probe electronic thermometers as well as probe electronic thermometers losing calibration over a short period of time or when dropped give rise to a concern over a false positive or false negative over a fever. Without a control glass thermometer, it may be impossible to determine whether or not an electronic thermometer has lost its calibration and to what degree so-to-speak.

Thus, It seems like when solving one problem anther problem surfaces. Nevertheless, a glass thermometer when used to take a youngster's temperature, whether orally or rectally, will yield reliable results. The only question remains is whether a youngster is capable of maintaining a glass oral thermometer in the mouth without a mishap which would require the youngster to have a temperature taken rectally with a glass rectal thermometer. For many who take a youngster's temperature, it is a lot easier to overlook the likelihood of having an unreliable result when taking a youngster's temperature with an electronic thermometer and so the electronic thermometer continues to dominate over the traditional glass thermometer which is still used for that purpose.

Does it matter though? It's an objective survey, albeit with (so far) too small a sample size to reliably extrapolate for the general population, but for the five hundred who did respond it does point toward an unexpectedly high preference for RT over other methods.

Read the questions and the title, there is some bias. Also we don't know where they draw their sample from (think about it - who is most likely to answer that survey? Look at the box questions specifically...).

I also have grave doubts that that survey is put out by an actual health care organization.

Does it matter though? It's an objective survey, albeit with (so far) too small a sample size to reliably extrapolate for the general population, but for the five hundred who did respond it does point toward an unexpectedly high preference for RT over other methods.

Is it?

Read the questions and the title, there is some bias. Also we don't know where they draw their sample from (think about it - who is most likely to answer that survey? Look at the box questions specifically...).

I think you can see who this 'survey' is really intended to appeal to, and from its content I have a pretty good idea where it really came from.

@gwhap said” if rectal temps are making a comeback- its not for the accuracy-its for the pleasure”

Exactly !

You can find a survey on line to support just about anything you want. That is why we have brains; to look at the evidence and see where the sources came from and how they were collected.

Perfect example of dont believe everything you hear/ read .

I also hope this was an innocent error and not some lame attempt to try to pass off bogus info to support a fetish that ALSO just happens to involve minors.

Am I the only one that seems to notice some similarities???

Am I the only one that seems to notice some similarities???

No. 😁

I believe the survey was totally objective and unbiased.

I also believe the world is flat.

I believe the survey was totally objective and unbiased.

I also believe the world is flat.

Oh, no, really? ? ? ? 😁 😁 😁

With the link to the survey being placed on a fetish site, the results will be tipped to the one side. That makes it unreliable. Fetish people are not the average thermometer users. If given through a post doctor visit or post hospital stay survey the information may be more accurate.

Bridgette's post is spot on! Before you believe a survey, or the results of a "study" on ANY subject, your first step should be to ask, "Who PAID for this?" I submit the subject of coffee and cancer as a prime example: you can find "studies" which seem to prove coffee causes cancer...AND "studies" which seem to prove coffee helps to prevent cancer! To the best of my knowledge, neither is true. There's an old saying in the accounting field: "Figures lie and liars figure!" Now THAT, I know is true!

There's an old saying in the accounting field: "Figures lie and liars figure!" Now THAT, I know is true!

Totally agree. to restate your quote from a statisticians standpoint: "Statistics Never Lie and Liars Use Statistics"

@ Mushroom, “ Figures lie and liars figure” That made me laugh and brought back memories from my old college days as an Accounting major. My business math professor used that quote often . Lol

I took the survey. I seriously suspect their bar graphs do not represent my community, at least, and wonder who is answering this ( frats or sororities? )

Come to think of it, didn't all of the presidential surveys during 2016, show an entirely different outcome?..... and considering the findings of this survey, most millennials have probably never experienced a rectal temperature before. So that would have drastically limited the target audience, and most people don't respond to surveys anyway. The public is overwhelmed with online sales pitches, and unwelcomed inquiries.

I took the survey. I seriously suspect their bar graphs do not represent my community, at least, and wonder who is answering this ( frats or sororities? )

That's a very good point.

I don't believe the NIH, NHS, CDC or other REAL health organizations use Survey Monkey to collect any kind of meaningful data.

The whole survey was made by fetishists and was aimed at fetishists.

Don't forget the statement by Mark Twain: "There are liars, damned liars and then there are statistics".

Don't forget the statement by Mark Twain: "There are liars, damned liars and then there are statistics".

Yes, when the statistics are for confirmation bias.

Definition from Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias -

Confirmation bias, also called confirmatory bias or myside bias, is the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a way that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses.

I suspect what drives policy decisions in FDA, CDC, NIH, etc., are favors of high level positions form pharmaceuticals and medical equipment suppliers after these decision makers leave public service. I doubt any recommendations on the use of electronic thermometers in a clinical environment as costs are measured in saved in taking a temperature over a glass thermometer, the removal of the glass thermometer off shelves on the retail level was swift thus requiring the consumer to change to using electronic thermometers. Unfortunately, issues with regard to producing reliable and consistent results as well as a gradual or sudden loss of calibration (leading to false positive and false negative fever readings), seems to be of little regard.

I am not surprised about these findings:

https://bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12887-018-0994-1?site=bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com

@docshelper010

I'm sorry, I don't know what you are trying to say. How much more accurate are rectal temps, and how does that add to a diagnosis. I concede they may be more accurate, but is a degree in temp really a big deal??

Gwhap, you miss the point. I was comparing the "glass thermometer", which could be ORAL or RECTAL, to electronic thermometers using various technologies. I apologize if I led you astray. To add to what I apparently did not get through to you is that the dangers of exposure of mercury (in the event of a glass thermometer breaking in a confined space) in gas form to a child is much more serious as opposed to false readings from electronic thermometers as far as our health policy makers are concerned. I also suspect there also may be other issues that have led to suspension of retail sales of both oral and rectal (mercury fill) glass thermometer.