Google Adds Health Information to The Knowledge Graph

[engine]

Although this is the knowledge graph, which already appears for many search terms, this will take a little more out of the real estate for health search topics.

So starting in the next few days, when you ask Google about common health conditions, you’ll start getting relevant medical facts right up front from the Knowledge Graph. Google Adds Health Information to The Knowledge Graph [googleblog.blogspot.com]

[EditorialGuy]

When caught in possession by Mr Plod just roll out the line "I thought I had cancer and G told me to take cannabis, sir"

I see an opportunity for Google AdWords. Maybe ads for medical marijuana could be geotargeted based on local laws? :-)

Seriously: Google has said in the past that health was going to receive special attention, so its new health answer boxes should hardly come as a surprise. Drug-related answer boxes have been around for more than two years, and "OneBoxes" pointing to Google Health pages were introduced in 2009:

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Anyone who's flabbergasted by the new, prettier answer boxes hasn't been paying attention.

[rish3]

Anyone who's flabbergasted by the new, prettier answer boxes hasn't been paying attention.

I don't think anyone is flabbergasted. The program appears to pose a risk to publishers. Both the planning, and the eventual rollout, were catalysts for discussion.

[glakes]

I don't think anyone is flabbergasted.

Very true. This is just another example of Google expanding beyond search and encroaching on publishers.

I wonder if Google's use of the knowledge graph, and their own team of doctors in this effort, will expose them to medical malpractice lawsuits?

[micklearn]

Udi Manber has left the building — the Googleplex, that is. After roughly nine years at the company, Manber is joining the National Institutes of Health in an unnamed capacity.

Coincidence?

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[blogs.wsj.com...]