Though maybe slightly controversial in its deployment, the use of search engines to help diagnose patients with medical conditions could soon be coming our way. Internet Mogul, Microsoft have been doing some extensive research and have discovered a way that could transform traditional methods of diagnosing patients.
Scientists at Microsoft have been studying the way in which people searched on the internet that indicated they had pancreatic cancer. The researchers would then systematically work backward to see what earlier signs the searches may have displayed. The results have proved to be successful in that they correctly identified between 5 and 15 percent of pancreatic cases. Previous studies have shown that early detection of this type of cancer can prolong a patient’s life for a small number of them.
But, the study is not completely foolproof and false positives are shown to be an about 1 in 100,000, which could potentially have adverse effects on the individual and cost the healthcare industry thousands. And there is also the problem of trying to decipher which internet searches are genuine and which are exaggerated.
Is the next step for us to have some form of computer program diagnose us so that we can print out our prescription? Probably not, but the collaborated data collected from people’s online searches for medical symptoms could be a giant leap forward for the healthcare industry. Both Google and Microsoft have ventured into the possibilities of using their technology to benefit the medical world and are likely to continue to do so.
If any advancement in technology can help an individual diagnose and illness early and potentially prolong their life then it is no doubt an area worth exploring.
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