STATES CHRONICLE – Presently, users Googling medical symptoms, such as a throat ache may probably be led to believe that they have cancer or some horrible incurable disease which will eventually lead to a slow and agonizing death.

Google is a search engine, and, as such, it has algorithms which set a particular display priority. The most popular results will often be at the top of the page because they in most cases they are what people are looking.

Medical symptoms are, however, not “most cases”, and many people ended up fearing for their life after trying to find out why their stomach hurt.

While Googling medical symptoms may sound like a cheaper and faster alternative than consulting a physician, the search engine is not medically qualified to give advice.

Licensed health professionals have never been quite pleased with the matter either. Convincing panicked patients that they will not be dying anytime soon is both challenging and time-consuming.

Nevertheless, after considerable efforts on Google’s part, the company is all but ready to implement a new upgrade. After the update, people Googling medical symptoms will be shown several cards similar to the ones already present in Google Now.

The cards will be ordered from most to least probable rather than most to least lethal. Information will also be gathered from the user’s location, weather, and news to sort out the symptom cards better.

While most minor symptoms may contain well-known and accessible treatments, most of the cards will advise the users to seek appropriate medical consultation. And since this will be a Google service, or even more likely an update to Google Now, integration with Google Clock, Google Calendar, and Google Inbox will most like become available if not present from the start.

Google has stated that close to one percent of daily queries are users Googling medical symptoms. The company will be releasing millions of symptom cards initially, planning to release more as health conditions change around the globe.

Due to their overwhelming number, the symptom cards will be initially available only in the US, in the English language. Compatible Android and iOS devices will be receiving the update soon. Google plans to make the feature available in all its supported languages. However, it will require some more time.

The symptom cards will also be made available to desktops soon. Doctors have already expressed their hope that Googling medical symptoms in the future will lead to calm and knowledgeable patients.

Image Courtesy of Google.