Searching for medical advice? Google’s got you covered

Over the next several days Google is unveiling a product that presents key information in a new way about the 400 most searched health conditions, like measles, diabetes and frostbite. Info that includes most common symptoms and treatments. 

Arming patients with better information when they visit the doctor could potentially help improve patient health. Dawn Mautner, who practices family medicine at Jefferson Hospital in downtown Philadelphia, says she’s optimistic.

“We’re all trying to get to the right answer,” Mautner says. “The better the information the patient comes in with, the better our interaction is going to be … that’s going to wind up improving outcomes as well as saving costs.”

Strategically, Google has put the healthcare industry on notice that it’s getting into the health information game just as consumers are being pressed into making more healthcare decisions.

The real shakeup will come if the company and its big data power gets into rating patient safety and healthcare value.