Google Search Wants to Help People Book Doctors’ Appointments
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Google wants its search engine to be a gateway to help users book appointments with doctors -- the latest step in the company’s winding effort to play a larger role in health care.
“Whether you put off your annual checkup, recently moved and need a new doctor, or are looking for a same-day visit to a MinuteClinic at CVS, you might see available appointment dates and times for doctors in your area,” Karen DeSalvo, Google’s chief health officer, wrote Thursday in a blog post. The company hopes to shorten wait times for getting medical attention, but users still will need to make appointments with medical professionals separate from the search platform, a Google representative said in a briefing.