We've all done it at some point: our side hurts, or we get a spot on our arm, and we go to Google to find out what terrible disease we might be suffering from. The problem is that what we find does not always diagnose us correctly and, what is more important, many times we are not trained to identify the ailment even with the data we offers us Google.
A long time ago we got to know Google Helpouts, a kind of video calls in which we could receive classes or make professional consultations. Well, now the search engine brand tries to put us in contact with a doctor when we look for information about a disease on the Internet.
The program is in testing, and Google intends to assess whether it's worth rolling out generally. Of course, for now the experiment is being carried out in the United States, and it helps in basic he alth issues, such as insomnia or food poisoning. The most serious matters will be left for the consultation of our family doctor, as I see logically.
The service will be free during the testing phase, but it cannot be ruled out that Google will charge for this medical service in the future. In fact, some Helpouts have had a cost since the platform opened. In any case, the possibility of making a video call with a doctor from the Google search engine seems to me most comfortable.
What do you think of this topic? Do you think it is a step forward for telemedicine, or do you not think it is a good system to receive he althcare?
Image: Adrian Clark
