FILE PHOTO: Logo of Google on a building at La Defense. In its second annual ‘Check Up’ online event, Google Health on Thursday said that the company is rolling out a host of new features to help doctors quickly generate AI based accurate results. The company wants to integrate robust search features, and organise data in more useful ways.
The most important news is on the Artificial intelligence (AI) front. Google said its latest finding from a research has revealed that a smartphone’s built-in microphone can be used to listen to heartbeats when they’re placed over the chest.
“Our latest research investigates whether a smartphone can detect heartbeats and murmurs. We’re currently in the early stages of clinical study testing, but we hope that our work can empower people to use the smartphone as an additional tool for accessible health evaluation,” Google said in a blog post.
Google’s blog also talks about the ability to measure heart rate and respiratory rate with the phone’s camera. This function is now available on over 100 models of Android devices, as well as iOS devices.
“Listening to someone’s heart and lungs with a stethoscope, known as auscultation, is a critical part of a physical exam. It can help clinicians detect heart valve disorders, such as aortic stenosis which is important to detect early. Screening for aortic stenosis typically requires specialized equipment, like a stethoscope or an ultrasound, and an in-person assessment.”
According to a blog post by Dr Karen DeSalvo, Google’s Chief Health Officer, the company is also rolling out a new scheduling feature that make booking doctor appointments simpler. “It can be a lot of friction when you’re making a doctor’s appointment. In the US the average wait time for a primary care appointment can be 20 days or more,” said Hema Budaraju, senior director of product, health and search social impact. “It shouldn’t be this hard to get access to care.”
YouTube will also be adding features to enhance health-related searches and videos in Brazil, India, and Japan. “This is our first step towards identifying and designating authoritative health sources on YouTube,” said Dr. Garth Graham, director and global head of healthcare and public health partnerships at YouTube.
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