Comments on: Since Sick People Surf the Web, Google Now Tracking Flu Trends http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2008/11/11/since-sick-people-surf-the-web-google-now-tracking-flu-trends/ Quirky, funny, and surprising science news from the edge of the known universe. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:55:47 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: lewismd http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2008/11/11/since-sick-people-surf-the-web-google-now-tracking-flu-trends/comment-page-1/#comment-17111 lewismd Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:12:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2008/11/11/since-sick-people-surf-the-web-google-now-tracking-flu-trends/#comment-17111 This only works when the searcher uses the correct medical semantics and specific clinical terminology. The term -muscle aches- does not equal -flu outbreak-. There was actually a task force sponsored by Consumers Union and HHS/Disease Prevention several years ago that studied this, found Google searching was too uncontrolled and random to actually predict an outbreak (see: http://www.urac.org/savedfiles/URAC_CWW_Health_Search_White_Paper1203.pdf). This only works when the searcher uses the correct medical semantics and specific clinical terminology. The term -muscle aches- does not equal -flu outbreak-.

There was actually a task force sponsored by Consumers Union and HHS/Disease Prevention several years ago that studied this, found Google searching was too uncontrolled and random to actually predict an outbreak (see: http://www.urac.org/savedfiles/URAC_CWW_Health_Search_White_Paper1203.pdf).

]]> By: Gwenny http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2008/11/11/since-sick-people-surf-the-web-google-now-tracking-flu-trends/comment-page-1/#comment-17099 Gwenny Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:30:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2008/11/11/since-sick-people-surf-the-web-google-now-tracking-flu-trends/#comment-17099 Social networks could do that as well. There seems to be some sort of flu going around several areas where I have friends. Social networks could do that as well. There seems to be some sort of flu going around several areas where I have friends.

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