Google to Replace Physicians?

November 13, 2006


So someone has finally done an official “study” of what most of us were already aware of.  Online at the BMJ is a study proving Google’s diagnostic ability.  The researchers took 3-5 terms from case reports from the NEJM, fed them into google and then looked at the links that were referenced.  58% (15/26)  of the time the correct diagnosis was found in the links retrieved by google (CI 38-77%).  You can debate whether this is truly research, however we’re getting closer and closer to the day you and I become irrelevant…scary eh?