Rochester, Minnesota - When people have health questions, many turn to the Internet, and Google in particular, as the first stop for finding health information. Now, when users ask Google about common health conditions, they will get relevant medical facts up front. For example, a search for arthritis will show, up front, a few basic facts about arthritis and a definition. To ensure quality and accuracy, teams of doctors including expert clinicians at Mayo Clinic have reviewed the facts, and have written succinct definitions for the conditions.

The goal of this new feature is to provide medical information in a digestible way and get basic answers quickly. Google will provide information about symptoms and treatments, and details about how common a condition is, whether it’s critical, if it’s contagious, what ages it affects, and more. It will also provide high-quality illustrations and a streamlined design that makes it easier to tap or click through to more in depth information on other sites.

“Good information is good medicine. We took a special interest in Google’s technology for providing quick, reliable, useful information, says Phil Hagen, M.D., Medical Director for Healthy Living, Mayo Clinic Global Business Solutions.

Google carefully compiled, curated and reviewed all the information fro
m high-quality medical sources across the web. All of the gathered facts were confirmed by medical doctors from around the United States to ensure that they represent real-life clinical knowledge. All of this information was then checked by expert clinicians at Mayo Clinic for accuracy.

“As an editor and physician, I know how difficult it is to present concise, useful information,” says Dr. Hagen. “I think these should be viewed as the first stop for those needing health information, and as people need more information, they can quickly connect to a medical website like MayoClinic.org.”

The information is not intended to be medical advice, and it is presented for informational purposes only. Dr. Hagen notes that cases can vary in severity from person to person, and that there are bound to be exceptions. He says health information searchers should consult a healthcare professional if they have a medical concern.