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Paging Dr. Google... Paging Dr. Google.

By Dr. Dave Hnida

(CBS4) -"Dr. Google" has a pretty busy practice, with more Americans than ever turning to this popular dispenser of medical advice. Type in a symptom or a disease on Google search,  and within seconds you've got a potpourri of information on your hands. Unfortunately, too often that info tends to be confusing, scary, and simply plain inaccurate. (That's why many doctors get a little snarky and call it "Dr. Google"-- and not kindly).

First off, there's the organization of that information. One day I typed in "headache" and the first things to pop up on Google were ads for TMJ clinics and migraine headaches experimental studies—not helpful. After a few more scrolls, I learned that headaches can be a sign of a brain tumor--very reassuring. No wonder my patients often come in freaked out that their simple hangnail may be the first sign of cutaneous leprosy, which most likely came from reading a chat board on weird, incurable diseases written by anonymous self-proclaimed civilian "experts".

When analyzed, only 33% of health information available online is actually reliable.

But here's the good news: up and running this week is a new and improved " Dr. Google" —a search engine which now seems to have actually graduated from cyber-med school, not quack school.

And I give Google credit for recognizing this problem and trying to remedy it.

Google has teamed up with Harvard and the Mayo Clinic to develop a new methodology for people searching for 400 common medical complaints or conditions on Google. Sore throat—it's there. Tummy ache—it's there. Headache—accurate information—it's there. Plus, some pretty nice advice on home remedies, and when to see a doctor.

The information is now organized into "cards" filled with info—and you can swipe from one card to the next, depending on how much more info you need.

The cards, info, and advice have been vetted by real-world expert physicians.

Now this all isn't meant to say that we doctors don't ever like you googling health info.  But "googling your symptoms" just became more trustable.

After all, knowledge is power. And the more you know, the better we can work together. And we are certainly not perfect, either.

We just hope this new and improved version of getting health info will keep you out of the realm of being a "cyber-chondriac".

Your health is your most valuable procession.

Right now, the new and better trained "Dr. Google" is only available on your smartphone, but the format will soon be available on your laptop or desktop within the year.

Dr. Dave Hnida is CBS4's Medical Editor. He blogs about the latest studies and trends in the health world. Read his latest blog entries, check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @drdavehnida

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