Although people frequently seek medical advice online, Internet search engines are not designed to provide accurate diagnostic information, the Washington Post reports.
Internet Fuels 'Cyberchondria'
Last year, a Microsoft study found that about 2% of Windows Live searches dealt with health issues. In addition, about one-third of users who searched for health terms focused their subsequent Web browsing on serious and rare medical conditions, according to the study.
In a follow-up study, researchers found that about two in five people said Internet searches had increased their nervousness about a health condition. However, more than half of respondents said Web searches had reduced their anxiety about a medical issue.
Improving Search Results
Internet search engines typically rank results based on click-through rates, relevance and other factors.
Therefore, people who type a certain symptom into a search engine might see results pointing to serious or uncommon diseases rather than a common ailment.
Eric Horvitz, co-author of the Microsoft study, said search engines could change certain formulas to direct users to more accurate and helpful health information. For example, the system could allow users to input their age, family history and other medical information when searching for information on certain symptoms, Horvitz said (Butler, Washington Post, 11/10).