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Google to Support the Medical World

Researchers at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane suggested that Google, the most popular internet search engine could solve mysterious medical cases.

According to the Australian team led by Hangwi Tang, Google is frequently used not only by patients, but also by doctors to set diagnoses.

The experts conducted a study, in which 26 rare medical cases, ranging from serious brain disorders like Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases to hormonal disorders like Cushing's syndrome, were evaluated. Researchers, who googled the symptoms of the 26 disorders, revealed that the search engine set the right diagnose for 15 of the cases.

"Computers connected to the internet are now ubiquitous in outpatient clinics and hospital wards. Useful information on even the rarest medical syndromes can now be found and digested within a matter of minutes. Our study suggests that in difficult cases, it is often useful to google for a diagnosis. Web-based search engines such as Google are becoming the latest tools in clinical medicine, and doctors in training need to become proficient in their use," reported Hangwi Tang.

The findings of the study are available for readers in the online edition of British Medical Journal.

However, it was also said that Google is just a support for medical investigations and that the role of doctor should not be undervalued.

"I don't think Google can replace doctors, in other words," stated Dr Tang.