Google Testing New Video Chat Service To Connect Doctors And Patients

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online
Google is currently testing out a new service that would allow users to video chat with medical professionals while searching for symptoms or general health information, various media outlets reported over the weekend.
The new service was first revealed when a Reddit user posted a screenshot of the service (which appeared to be in “limited trial”) and Google officials confirmed its authenticity to Engadget’s Jon Fingas on Saturday.
Fingas described it as “a Helpouts-style feature” and said that where there weren’t many details as to how the video chat service works in practice, company officials have confirmed that Google is testing it out. The Mountain View, California-based company is covering all costs during the trial phase, he added, but users would likely have to pay for these virtual appointments if and when the service is given a Web-wide release.
Helpouts, Dante D’Orazio of The Verge explained, is a do-it-yourself marketplace that allows experts in a variety of fields to give how-to lessons and advice to Google users over video chat. Helpouts services cover a variety of fields – from guitar lessons to baking advice – and can range in cost from free to $20 per hour or more.
“When you’re searching for basic health information – from conditions like insomnia or food poisoning – our goal is provide you with the most helpful information available. We’re trying this new feature to see if it’s useful to people,” a Google spokesperson told Gizmodo reporter Darren Org on Sunday.
The healthcare-related offshoot was discovered when the Reddit user conducted a search for “knee pain” on his Android smartphone, said Org. A small blue video icon appeared as part of the results, giving him the option to “talk with a doctor now.” Clicking on the box further explains that, based on his search query, the service determined that he was trying to learn more about a medical condition and could benefit from chatting with a healthcare professional.
As for the potential benefits of this service, UberGizmo’s Adnan Farooqui explained that, while it is “quite common” for people to conduct Internet searches related to symptoms they might be experiencing, the amount of information (and misinformation) available online makes it possible “to think you’ve got something when the reality is quite different.”
“This is why online searches should never replace a visit to an actual doctor,” he added, “but what if you could do that as you search your symptoms online? … Obviously there will be certain limitations when visiting a doctor over the internet as opposed to visiting them in person but it would probably be cheaper.”
Google first launched Helpouts as an offshoot of their Hangouts service in November 2013, offering the assurance that all of computer experts, fitness gurus and other professionals offering their service would be put through a vetting process. Furthermore, Google noted at the time that all teachers, personal trainers, doctors and the like would be required to have the proper licensing and qualifications.
—–
Amazon.com – Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices
—–