Are You Using the Improved Google Health Tools?

According to 2011 comScore data, over 130 million people go online every month to search for health-related information. Many go to learn more about a symptom a loved one may be experiencing. Others may go online to find out what’s causing their daily headaches. One thing is for certain: Looking for healthcare-related information starts with search engines like Google.

According to 2011 comScore data, over 130 million people go online every month to search for health-related information. Many go to learn more about a symptom a loved one may be experiencing. Others may go online to find out what’s causing their daily headaches. One thing is for certain: Looking for healthcare-related information starts with search engines like Google.

Google is now making this type of searching easier. When you search for a set of symptoms, you’ll see a list of possible related health conditions that you can use to refine your search. These lists of conditions are generated by Google’s algorithm, which analyzes data from all over the web that relate to the health condition you’re searching for.

For example, if you search for “inner wrist pain,” you’ll be able to quickly see potentially related conditions and learn more about them by clicking on the links in the list. One result that comes up at the top of the results page is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, one possible cause of inner wrist pain.

These new aggregated health tool results come from various web sources, not necessarily doctors or medical experts. And they aren’t edited by humans.