"Characterizing and improving people’s search path during illness and health"

Search engines are the first internet platform that people turn to when they have a medical question. The queries people make during their inquiries can help characterize their search path in sickness and in health and to serve as an intervention point to nudge them to better health outcomes.

In my talk I will present studies where characterization of the search path enabled us to screen search engine users for different medical conditions and to understand their medical decision-making process. I will also show how simple interventions along the search pathway can steer people to better health choices in areas ranging from encouraging vaccination to selecting appropriate treatment choices for serious illnesses.