| The Korean Journal of Use of Google as a Diagnostic Aid |
| Kwang Cheol Koh |
| Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea |
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| ABSTRACT |
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Objective
To determine how often searching with
Google (the most popular search engine on the world
wide web) leads doctors to the correct diagnosis. Design:
Internet based study using Google to search for diagnoses;
researchers were blind to the correct diagnoses. Setting:
One year’s (2005) diagnostic cases published in the case
records of the New England Journal of Medicine. Cases:
26 cases from the New England Journal of Medicine;
management cases were excluded. Main outcome
measure: Percentage of correct diagnoses from Google
searches (compared with the diagnoses as published in the
New England Journal of Medicine). Results: Google
searches revealed the correct diagnosis in 15 (58%, 95%
confidence interval 38% to 77%) cases. Conclusion: As
internet access becomes more readily available in
outpatient clinics and hospital wards, the web is rapidly
becoming an important clinical tool for doctors. The use
of web based searching may help doctors to diagnose
difficult cases. [Abstract reproduced by permission of
BMJ 2006;333:1143-1145] |
| KeyWords:
Google; Medical diagnosis |
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