This is how self-diagnosis via the internet usually goes: Google symptoms or health condition, read WebMD article, freak the eff out because you definitely have AIDS, cancer, or are pregnant. (And of course, none of these are true.) We all know it’s not the best idea to ask the Interent to diagnose us, but we all have a little cyberchondriac in us anyway. We want to be informed, and with no medical textbooks lying around, WebMD is really the only way.
So to help us sort through all the bogus medical advice out there, Dr. Google is rolling out fact-checked health search results. Five percent of Google’s monthly searches are for health terms, USA Today reports, so the Czar of Search teamed up with the Mayo Clinic and consulted a handful of doctors to bring us reliable health information with a quick, simple search.
Right now, the database covers 400 of the most commonly searched medical terms. When you search a condition, you can find information about how common it is, and how it’s usually treated. Some even include illustrations, like this gorgeous pink eye entry:
 |
The information is all thoroughly fact-checked and realistic, thanks to a team of medical professionals. “An average of 11 doctors have vetted each fact, and all (of the 400 conditions) were then reviewed by the Mayo Clinic,” Amit Singhal, Google’s VP in charge of search, told USA TODAY. He also added that this tool is only meant to provide accurate education so we’re more informed when approaching medical conversations with our doctors.
So even though it may make you feel like a know-it-all, remember you still don’t have an M.D. after your name. But at least you’ll sleep tonight knowing you don’t have a brain tumor.
