Google Health announced a slew of new features to help doctors quickly generate AI-based accurate results at its second annual ‘Check Up’ online event on Thursday. The company intends to integrate robust search features as well as organize data in more useful ways.
The most important news is in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). According to Google’s latest research findings, a smartphone’s built-in microphone can be used to listen to heartbeats when placed over the chest.
Our most recent study looks into whether a smartphone can detect heartbeats and murmurs. We’re still in the early stages of clinical study testing, but we hope that our work will enable people to use smartphones as an additional tool for accessible health evaluation, Google wrote in a blog post.
Google’s blog also mentions the phone’s camera’s potential for measuring heart rate and respiratory rate. This feature is now available on over 100 Android device models, as well as iOS devices.
Auscultation, or listening to someone’s heart and lungs with a stethoscope, is an important part of a physical exam. It can assist clinicians in detecting heart valve disorders like aortic stenosis, which must be detected early. Aortic stenosis screening typically needs the use of specialized equipment, such as a stethoscope or an ultrasound, as well as an in-person assessment.
According to a blog post by Dr. Karen DeSalvo – Google’s Chief Health Officer, the company is also introducing a new scheduling feature that will make booking doctor appointments easier.
Making a doctor’s appointment can be a source of contention. The average wait time for a primary care appointment in the United States can be 20 days or more, said Hema Budaraju, senior director of product, health, and search social impact. It should not be this strenuous to get access to care.
In Brazil, India, and Japan, YouTube will also add features to improve health-related searches and videos. This is our first step in identifying and designating authoritative health sources on YouTube, stated Dr. Garth Graham, director as well as global head of healthcare and public health partnerships at YouTube.
