Doctors connecting to symptoms searchers in Google trial

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You know how the Internet is a go-to hub of content and a risky end-all of content as advice you should use. You know this each time you had an ache or pain and looked up your symptoms. You came away with the choice of either making out your final will or taking one aspirin and going to bed at 10. A Google trial might be of interest, which will let you talk with doctors.

Jon Fingas in Engadget reported that "The company has confirmed to Engadget that it's testing a Helpouts-style ("real help from real people in real time," according to Google's creators) feature that offers video chats with doctors. Google is covering the costs of any chats during a limited trial phase. Darren Orf in Gizmodo talked about how the word about the trial service spread. The "addition was spotted in Google's search engine when one redditor searched for 'knee pain' on his Android smartphone. Tucked away under this medical inquiry was a small blue video icon with text saying 'Talk with a doctor now.' Clicking on the nearby information icon only gives us a little bit more to work with. Google appears to be testing a method for users to connect with doctors when they appear to be searching for medical advice. It's only a limited trial period, so this new feature won't pop up on everyone's account, but Google will cover all costs incurred during the trial."

Helpouts was designed to offer live help over video and made its debut in November last year. The Google site page said that "With Helpouts you can get help anytime from people with expertise across a range of topics - teachers, counselors, doctors, home repair specialists, personal trainers, hobby enthusiasts, and more." With Helpouts, one chooses who to go to based on qualifications, availability, price, ratings and reviews. One can connect instantly or book in advance, according to Udi Manber, vice president, engineering, in introducing Helpouts in November. "We're starting small and in a few categories. The number of people giving help on Helpouts and the type of help available will grow over time. Helpouts may not be suitable for every occasion, and it will take time to get used to interactions via real time video." As for pricing, "While some Helpouts are free, you'll need to pay for some. Paying for help is easy using Google Wallet."

Meanwhile, with the current doctor trial, Gizmodo said, "The feature is integrated with Helpouts and Google is testing whether this on-demand type of medical care would be beneficial for users." A Google spokesperson was quoted in Gizmodo: "When you're searching for basic health information—from conditions like insomnia or food poisoning—our goal is provide you with the most helpful information available. We're trying this new feature to see if it's useful to people."

More information: googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/1 … p-when-you-need.html

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Citation: Doctors connecting to symptoms searchers in Google trial (2014, October 13) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://techxplore.com/news/2014-10-doctors-symptoms-searchers-google-trial.html
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