Google are trial testing a series of online doctor video chats in a bid to end the fake ‘diagnoses’ from people searching their symptoms and arriving at the wrong conclusions.
According to
Mashable, an image posted to Reddit shows a Google search for knee pain – and an option for the user to video chat with a doctor about their symptoms.
Google have now confirmed to several news outlets that they are trying out the new feature, which will aim to help people looking to secure basic health information:
“... 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.”
The move is part of Google’s Helpouts platform – aiming to connect users with experts over live video. Experts will then have the opportunity to charge a fee per session, although some will be free to use directly from the service.
A spokesperson for Google said the company will be covering the costs of the initial trial, but will be looking at usage statistics during the trial to decide whether to maintain the project on a long-term basis.
Image via Mashable
