Home Google Now Gives Hypochrondriacs What They Want

Google Now Gives Hypochrondriacs What They Want

Google has now made it easier for armchair physicians to find things to freak out about.

The tech giant just announced the inclusion of medical information to its Knowledge Graph searches, allowing anyone to contradict their doctors right in their offices. Essentially, it amounts to Google’s own souped-up version of WebMD, but with a simpler interface and more direct access. (Of course, it could spell doom for the actual WebMD website, which is still alive and kicking, at least for now.)

See also: Google Search Learns To Listen & Understand Context

The new feature sounds like a handy tool in emergency situations. But it could also have some unintended consequences.

Googlers, Treat Thyself?

Google merely seems to be giving people what they want. According to the company’s blog post, one in 20 Google searches are attempts to find health-related information.

The new feature unearths symptoms, common treatments and illustrations from across the Web, but the results do not rely on cut-and-dry (and sometimes inaccurate) machine algorithms. The data is reviewed by the company’s own Dr. Kapil Parakh, M.D., MPH, Ph.D., and a team of medical experts, including colleagues at the Mayo Clinic. They cull the information from the Web, review it for accuracy and also contribute their own clinical knowledge.

The ability to quickly dig up presumably trustworthy and easily digestible medical information seems like exactly what people would want in a moment of crisis. Concerned parents, say, looking up the severity of their children’s symptoms probably don’t have the presence of mind to trawl through pages and pages of medical jargon or endlessly refine search terms. Obviously, it also gives hypochondriacs plenty of fuel to satiate their compulsive late-night research.

See also: OK, Google: Search Inside My Apps!

There’s already a term for this: “cyberchondria,” a variation of hypochondriasis enabled and fueled by obsessive online research. As neurologist, writer and educator Richard C. Senelick wrote in the Huffington Post, “For hypochondriacs and the ‘worried well,’ the Internet is fertile ground to escalate their concerns. [It’s an] interaction of excessive anxiety brought on by the use of online health information….” 

He cited a 2008 Microsoft study focusing on online health research. It looked at three common symptoms across 40 million page samples: headaches, muscle spasms and chest pain. The researchers found that, since search engines can’t engage in “diagnostic reasoning” like physicians do, they tend to give common benign disorders and more serious problems equal weight.

See also: Why Google Wants To Padlock The Web

Google enlisted a team of real, live physicians, but they can’t assess individual cases or scenarios. Basically, they’re glorified fact checkers. 

Old Problems, Revved By New Tools

There’s nothing new about hypochondria or its cyberchondria off-shoot. It runs rampant, even in the place where future doctors get trained. Every year, hundreds of med students give in to “medical school students’ disease,” which has them imagining they have the same diseases they’re studying.

As for online research of the sort Google has now facilitated, the medical community seems divided. For every story about how it can complicate treatment, with people using online information to challenge or even replace clinical diagnoses, there’s another championing it as a valuable resource that informs and educates patients. 

See also: Google Is Turning Search Into The Planet’s Biggest Anticipatory System

Whether it helps or harms depends on how people use the tools. There’s clearly a tendency for some folks to jump to conclusions based on what they dig up online. For good or bad, Google’s new search could heighten the temptation to self-diagnose.

The company seems to know that. From its blog post:

That doesn’t mean these search results are intended as medical advice. We know that cases can vary in severity from person to person, and that there are bound to be exceptions. What we present is intended for informational purposes only—and you should always consult a healthcare professional if you have a medical concern.

That’s probably not going to stop people from fixating on the worst possible explanation for that mysterious rash or cough. But if users overlook it because of a Google search, or disregard doctors who stubbornly ignore the terminal illness that simply must be causing it, then don’t blame Google. It was just trying to help. 

Screencaps courtesy of Google

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.