Author Archives: Dr. Karen DeSalvo

The Check Up: helping people live healthier lives

My years spent caring for patients at the bedside and in the clinic inspired me to find ways to improve health for them and their communities at scale. That passion eventually brought me to Google where I could help solve the world’s most significant health challenges.

I joined the company just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. At the time, most people hadn’t heard of “flattening the curve” or “mRNA vaccines.” But what they did know was that they could turn to Google with their questions. The COVID-19 pandemic strengthened our resolve that Google could and should help everyone, everywhere live a healthier life. It also accelerated our company-wide health efforts.

We embed health into our products to meet people where they are. Our teams apply their expertise and technological strengths and harness the power of partnerships to support our 3Cs – consumers, caregivers and communities around the world.

Today, we’re hosting our second annual Google Health event, The Check Up. Teams from across the company — including Search, YouTube, Fitbit, Care Studio, Health AI, Cloud and Advanced Technologies and Projects team — will share updates about their latest efforts.

Among the areas of progress, I’m delighted at the ways our teams are working to support consumers with helpful information and tools throughout their health journeys.

Making it easier to find and book local care providers in the U.S.

When people have questions about their health, they often start with the internet to find answers. No matter what people are searching for on Google Search, it's our mission to give high-quality information, exactly when it’s needed.

The Search team recently released features to help people navigate the complex healthcare system and make more informed decisions, like finding healthcare providers who take their insurance.

At today's event, Hema Budaraju, who leads our Health and Social Impact work for Search, introduced a feature we’re rolling out that shows the appointment availability for healthcare providers so you can easily book an appointment. Whether you put off your annual check-up, 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.

While we’re still in the early stages of rolling this feature out, we’re working with partners, including MinuteClinic at CVS and other scheduling solution providers. We hope to expand features, functionality and our network of partners so we can make it easier for people to get the care they need.

Screenshot of new appointment availability feature

Helping people in Brazil, India and Japan discover local, authoritative health content on YouTube

Of all the information channels people turn to for health information, video can be a helpful and powerful way to help people make informed healthcare decisions. People can watch and listen to experts translate complex medical terms and information into simple language and concepts they easily understand, and they can connect with communities experiencing similar conditions and health challenges.

Dr. Garth Graham talked about YouTube Health’s mission of providing equitable access to authoritative health information that is evidence-based, culturally relevant and engaging. In the past year, YouTube has focused on building partnerships with leading health organizations and public health leaders to increase the volume and visibility of authoritative health content through new features.

Starting this week in Japan, Brazil and India, YouTube is adding health source information panels on videos to provide context that helps viewers identify videos from authoritative sources, and health content shelves that more effectively highlight videos from these sources when people search for specific health topics. These context cues help people easily navigate and evaluate credible health information.

Supporting heart health with Fitbit

In addition to information needs, people use our consumer technologies and tools to support their health and wellness. Fitbit makes it easy and motivating for people to manage their holistic health, from activity and nutrition to sleep and mindfulness. Fitbit co-founder James Park shared how Fitbit believes wearables can have an even greater impact on supporting people with chronic conditions, including heart conditions like atrial fibrillation (AFib).

In 2020, the team launched the Fitbit Heart Study, with nearly half a million people who use Fitbit. The goal was to test our PPG (Photoplethysmography) AFib algorithm, which passively looks at heart rate data, to alert people to signs of an irregular heart rhythm.

We presented the study results at the most recent American Heart Association meeting, showing that the algorithm accurately identified undiagnosed AFib 98% of the time. We’ve submitted our algorithm to the FDA for review. This is one of many ways we’re continuing to make health even more accessible.

Building the future for better health

These updates are only a slice of what we covered at the event. Check out our Health AI blog post and tune into our event to hear more about ways we are advancing better, more equitable health for everyone.

HLTH: Building on our commitments in health

Tonight kicked off the HLTH event in Boston that brings together leaders across health to discuss healthcare's most pressing problems and how we can tackle them to improve care delivery and outcomes.

Over the past two years, the pandemic shined a light on the importance of our collective health — and the role the private sector, payers, healthcare delivery organizations, governments and public health play in keeping communities healthy. For us at Google, we saw Search, Maps and YouTube become critical ways for people to learn about COVID-19. So we partnered with public health organizations to provide information that helped people stay safe, find testing and get vaccinated. In addition, we provided healthcare organizations, researchers and non-profits with tools, data and resources to support pandemic response and research efforts.

As I mentioned on the opening night of HLTH, Google Health is our company-wide effort to help billions of people be healthier by leaning on our strengths: organizing information and developing innovative technology. Beyond the pandemic, we have an opportunity to continue helping people to address health more holistically through the Google products they use every day and equipping healthcare teams with tools and solutions that help them improve care.

Throughout the conference, leaders from Google Health will share more about the work we’re doing and the partnerships needed across the health industry to improve health outcomes.

Meeting people in their everyday moments and empowering them to be healthier

People are increasingly turning to technology to manage their daily health and wellbeing — from using wearables and apps to track fitness goals, to researching conditions and building community around those with similar health experiences. At Google, we’re working to connect people with accurate, timely and actionable information and tools that can help them manage their health and achieve their goals.

On Monday, Dr. Garth Graham, who leads healthcare and public health partnerships for YouTube, will join the panel “Impactful Health Information Sharing” to discuss video as a powerful medium to connect people with engaging and high-quality health information. YouTube has been working closely with organizations, like the American College of Physicians, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Mass General Brigham, to increase authoritative video content.

On Tuesday, Fitbit’s Dr. John Moore will join a panel on “The Next Generation of Health Consumers” focusing on how tools and technologies can help people take charge of their health and wellness between doctors’ visits — especially for younger generations. Regardless of age, there’s a huge opportunity for products like Fitbit to deliver daily, actionable insights into issues that can have a huge impact on overall health, like fitness, stress and sleep.

Helping health systems unlock the potential of healthcare data

Across Google Health, we’re building solutions and tools to help unlock the potential of healthcare data and transform care delivery. Care Studio, for example, helps clinicians at the point of care by bringing together patient information from different EHR systems into an integrated view. We’ve been piloting this tool at select hospital sites in the U.S. and soon clinicians in the pilot will have access to the Care Studio Mobile app so they can quickly access the critical patient information they need, wherever they are — whether that’s bedside, at clinic or in a hospital corridor.

In addition to Care Studio, we’re developing solutions that will bring greater interoperability to healthcare data, helping organizations deliver better care. Hear more from Aashima Gupta, Google Cloud’s global head of healthcare solutions, at HLTH in two sessions. On Monday, October 18, Aashima will discuss how digital strategies can reboot healthcare operations, and on Tuesday, October 19 she will join the panel “Turning of the Data Tides” to discuss different approaches to data interoperability and patient access to health records.

Building for everyone

Where people live, work and learn can greatly impact their experience with health. Behind many of our products and initiatives are industry experts and leaders who are making sure we build for everyone, and create an inclusive environment for that work to take place. During the Women at HLTH Luncheon on Tuesday, Dr. Ivor Horn, our Director of Health Equity, will share her career journey rooted in advocacy, entrepreneurship and activism.

From our early days as a company, Google has sought to improve the lives of as many people as possible. Helping people live healthier lives is one of the most impactful ways we can do that. It will take more than a single feature, product or initiative to improve health outcomes for everyone. If we work together across the healthcare industry and embed health into all our work, we can make the greatest impact.

For more information about speakers at HLTH, check out the full agenda.