A Google search for heart conditions will now prominently display important questions patients should ask their doctor based on clinical guidelines developed by the American College of Cardiology.
The ACC teamed up with Google to create a list of essential questions that patients should ask their doctors about conditions like heart attack, coronary artery disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and atrial fibrillation through a new "Ask a Doctor" feature that appears within Google Health Knowledge Graphs, the in-depth search result that appears for health related conditions.
The ACC develops clinical practice guidelines with leading experts around the country. The ACC reached out to these experts to create questions and answers for the public based on the guidelines. The goal is to make it easy for patients to access guideline information in order to spark conversations with their doctors about recommended treatments and encourage patients to be fully engaged in decisions about their care.
Knowledge graphs will also include a link to CardioSmart.org, the patient engagement and empowerment initiative from the ACC, directing users to information in line with ACC's guideline recommendations
The basic information is not intended to provide medical advice, but it can help educate people on what questions to ask their doctor. Given the importance of these topics in the treatment of patients, the knowledge graphs also include a share feature to facilitate sharing information with friends and family who may have heart disease.
"This is a unique opportunity to marry the broad reach and power of Google's Internet search engine with the clinical and scientific expertise of the ACC," said ACC Chief Innovation Officer John Rumsfeld, M.D., Ph.D., FACC. "This project makes it easier for the public to get accurate answers to health and medical care questions, and will aid in promoting engagement between patients and their clinicians."
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The American College of Cardiology is a 52,000-member medical society that is the professional home for the entire cardiovascular care team. The mission of the College is to transform cardiovascular care and to improve heart health. The ACC leads in the formation of health policy, standards and guidelines. The College operates national registries to measure and improve care, offers cardiovascular accreditation to hospitals and institutions, provides professional medical education, disseminates cardiovascular research and bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet stringent qualifications. For more, visit acc.org.