Google acquires health info from Harvard & Mayo Clinic for self-diagnosis

Google could be rolling out a self-diagnostic tool to help the millions of people seeking "accurate health information" on the internet. Following consultation with its lawyers, Google turned to a panel of doctors to create a list of symptoms, before confirming the results with Harvard Medical School and Mayo Clinic "experts". At the moment, a limited number of US users can search for symptoms, with results showing possible conditions as well as whether the ailment in question requires medical treatment.

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Looking for accurate health information on the web is still kind of like peering into a black hole — take a wrong turn while investigating something harmless like “fever” and your search for a diagnosis could spiral out of control.

Google is aware of this phenomenon and claims that about one percent of all searches on the service (that’s a large number) are “symptom-related.” And so Google, after consulting its lawyers, teamed up with doctors to develop a list of symptoms, and then consulted Harvard Medical School and Mayo Clinic “experts” to evaluate the results.

So next time you search for “headache on one side,” Google says, the search engine will show you related conditions and info on whether you need to go to a doctor or if you can treat your symptoms yourself. Handy.

For now, Google is rolling the feature out slowly and only to a limited number of users — “over the next few days” in just English to U.S. mobile users. However, the company says it may eventually expand its list of symptoms and release the feature in other countries and languages.