Search engine correct 58 per cent of the time

Google searches could help doctors to diagnose the illnesses of patients with unusual symptoms, according to a new medical research study.

Based on a sample of 26 past medical cases - including Creutzfeld Jakob Disease (CJD) and Cushing's syndrome - the research found that Google made the correct diagnosis in 15 of them (58 per cent) when the symptoms were entered into the search engine.

That still leaves 42 per cent of cases where the diagnosis wasn't correct but the Australian doctors who conducted the study said in some of those cases Google gave the correct diagnosis but it wasn't specific enough to be considered correct for the purpose of the research.

Read more: silicon.com