Friday, March 10, 2006

Google saves Dilbert

Here is a great story of Google overcoming the costs associated with excessive specialisation in medical practice.

I have had similar experiences; mostly trying to work out how serious a child's symptoms are. Not wanting to constantly run over to the GP everytime one of them has a fever, I usually google "fever" and "other random symptom." It sometimes gives additional symptoms to look for. In one of these many years ago, the additional symptom was large changes in appetite. My daughter had combined her fever with a massive display of eating (half a rockmelon). However, I don't think an upwards change was what they had in mind. Anyhow, I decided not to worry and things worked out without taxing the health care system.

I wonder if the 'google effect' will show up in the data one day?