Google Search Tool May Provide Heads-Up on Flu Outbreaks

Google has matched its analysis of search queries regarding the flu against the CDC's gathering of actual flu data and claims it is faster and just about as accurate. If Google's system is indeed a reliable bellwether, it could give healthcare professionals an advantage in combating an outbreak.

Google has announced the debut of Google Flu Trends, a tool designed to identify flu-outbreak patterns through an analysis of search data.

An early version of the technology deployed during the 2007-2008 flu season accurately estimated flu levels across nine regions in the U.S. as much as two weeks faster than reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a Tuesday posting on the official Google blog.

Need For Speed

The speed boost reflects the differences between the CDC's data-collecting methodology and Google's near-instantaneous processing of search queries.

CDC depends on several data collection methods to build its reports. Details from doctors and state health departments assist in helping CDC determine flu levels across the United States.

As for relative accuracy, a comparison of a Google.org graph showing the rise and fall of flu-related activity to measurements taken by the CDC dating back to 2004 shows the two as virtually the same.

With Google able to closely match the CDC findings ahead of the agency's current pace, it appears that an outbreak could be detected faster than the present best practices allow.

Life or Death?

Google's team looked at the "gold standard" of data -- that being what the CDC gathers in its regular flu-tracking efforts, noted Glyn Caldwell, M.D., vice chairman of the department of epidemiology at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health.

"The CDC process is cumbersome but accurate, and a little bit slower," Caldwell told TechNewsWorld. "While Google Flu Trends isn't as precise, it does give you a good idea of what is going on."

Such a heads-up could potentially be lifesaving. Healthcare professionals could focus more on preventive care than emergency care, and possibly thwart an outbreak before it could become widespread.

Undifferentiated Queries

Despite the potential advantages of Google's search-query tracking, certain factors might affect the accuracy of Google Flu Trends, suggested Caldwell. The number of queries could include students working on reports, or multiple family members looking up symptoms on behalf of an ill person, as well as those actually suffering from the flu.

Still, Google's Flu Trends could encourage some early action in a community, perhaps prompting someone already affected by flu symptoms to seek a prescription for Tamiflu, Caldwell suggested. Those without symptoms might decide to get that flu shot they neglected before the start of flu season.

One observation of note is that Google Flu Trends shows a lower number of search queries later in an epidemic, Caldwell pointed out. Though curiosity about flu symptoms may waver, that doesn't necessarily mean the outbreak itself has diminished.

CDC's tracking will likely remain a more accurate measure of the flu's impact on a given community, he concluded.

Source: TechNewsWorld

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Google's New SearchWiki Tool Lets Users Give Their Two Bits

Googlers now have the ability to re-rank, delete, add and comment about the results coming in on their queries. The hope is that with enough users chiming in and providing feedback, Google will be able to sharpen its accuracy in determining what exactly people are looking for. The tough part will be getting enough people using it.

Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) More about Google has released a new search editing tool that gives users more control over their results. SearchWiki enables users to customize their searches by re-ranking, deleting, adding and even commenting on their search results. Users will also be able to see how others have edited their searches; however, the edits will only apply to their personal searches.

Better Search

Google's SearchWiki will help users over time while also benefiting Google.

It will improve the relevancy of results from Google because of the contributions they will provide over time.

In the long term, as increasing numbers of searchers use the Wiki and indicate what they believe the results should have been or would have liked them to be, Google can alter the search results to jibe with their input.

Everybody Wiki

The tough part that Google has to confront, however, is adoption.

The value in SearchWiki will come from large adoption of the tool by users.

This is probably a good thing for Google users over time in terms of helping shaping relevancy of search results and it will probably be a profitable thing for Google in the long term in terms of its contribution to the engine search results. The toughest challenge will be the adoption.

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Google Adds Magazine Annex to Online Library

Google Books now has a magazine section. The search engine -- which only recently settled a longstanding dispute with book publishers over making their literature searchable on the Web -- put content from popular magazines online, though much of it will be years old. It's worked out a linking and revenue sharing plan with rights owners.

As part of its quest to corral more content published on paper, Google has made digital copies of more than 1 million articles from magazines that hit the newsstands decades ago.

Links and Revenue

For now, the old magazine articles can be found only through Google's search service for finding digital copies of books. However, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company plans to eventually include magazine articles in its general search results.

Users who want to restrict the scope of their inquiries to magazines can choose that option through the book search's "advanced" function.

Dozens of magazine publishers have agreed to let Google index their archives. The incentive: Google will link to the Web site of a participating magazine publisher and share some of the revenue that is expected to be generated from ads shown alongside the old articles.

Beyond the Net

The list of old magazines already available through Google includes past issues of New York Magazine, Popular Mechanics, Popular Science and Ebony.

Google has been trying to reel in more content from non-Internet sources for the past four years. The crusade began with agreements to copy books sitting on the shelves of several major libraries -- an ambitious project that triggered a copyright battle with publishers and authors that was finally settled in October.

Besides books and magazine articles, Google also provides a digital gateway to the archives of several newspapers and millions of old photos from Life magazine.

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