Search engine as a diagnostic tool in difficult immunological and allergologic cases: is Google useful?

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Allergy
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Web search engines are vital for knowledge dissemination.
• Google dominates web searches, holding 87% market share in the UK (August 2008).
• Previous research indicated Google's utility as a diagnostic tool in general medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of Google searches for diagnosing complex immunological and allergic conditions.
• To compare diagnostic accuracy using Google across different levels of expertise.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 45 randomly selected case reports from peer-reviewed journals.
• Three investigators (Consultant, Registrar, Research Nurse) with varying expertise independently used Google to diagnose cases.
• Investigators were blinded to the final diagnoses, and their Google-derived diagnoses were compared to the published outcomes.

Main Results:

• Correct diagnoses were achieved in 66% (Investigator A), 86% (Investigator B), and 64% (Investigator C) of cases.
• All three investigators successfully diagnosed 42% of the cases.
• Complete diagnostic failure occurred in only two cases across all investigators.

Conclusions:

• Google searches proved valuable for identifying diagnoses in complex immunological and allergic cases.
• Enhanced computing skills appear to correlate with improved diagnostic outcomes.
• The study supports the utility of web search engines as a supplementary diagnostic aid in specialized medicine.