Google has announced an exciting new project, working in tandem with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based in Atlanta. The Google Flu Trends allows the health care organizations to see, in real time, the geographic locations of individuals searching for flu-related symptoms.
The underlying assumption is that as the flu virus breaks out in a specific geographic area, sufferers will turn to their computers (including Google’s popular search engine) to seek remedies and treatments. Google, while promising to keep individual data private, can then alert the health care organizations about such breakouts. Yet another terrific Google idea!
Photo courtesy of hhesonline.
Online Epidemic Tracking
Google Flu Trends
Trend Themes
1. Real-time Epidemic Tracking - Using real-time data from online searches, organizations can track and respond to epidemics faster.
2. Public Health Analytics - Analyzing online search data can provide valuable insights for public health organizations.
3. Privacy-preserving Data Analysis - Developing technologies to analyze user data while respecting privacy can unlock new opportunities for tracking epidemics.
Industry Implications
1. Healthcare - Healthcare organizations can leverage real-time epidemic tracking to improve response and resource allocation.
2. Technology - Technology companies can develop analytics tools and platforms to support epidemic tracking and response.
3. Data Privacy - Data privacy solutions providers can create innovative technologies to analyze user data while maintaining privacy.