Google is testing a new program designed for those who use the search engine to find the cause of their aches and pains.
This program comes in the form of "Talk with a doctor now," a link that lets users video call a doctor for free from their search results when looking up symptoms for illnesses, according to The Guardian. The doctor will provide the user with a diagnosis or advice on how to handle what they are experiencing at the time.
Jason Houle from Springfield, Massachusetts was the first to test the new program, Googling results for "knee pain." The Walt Disney World employee showed the trial on Reddit with a screenshot from his smartphone.
The video call option comes with an advice box, PC Magazine reported, which reads, "Based on your search query, we think you are trying to understand a medical condition. Here you can find health care providers who you can visit with over video chat."
Google did not say how long it will be testing the new program.
The feature appears similar to the search giant's Helpouts video chat system, which uses an improved version of the company's Hangouts text, audio and video chat service to let users talk to "experts" in different fields, The Guardian reported.
While most people in the U.S. have to pay for visits to the doctors, Google said users will be able to video call doctors in the new program for free. The trial is currently only available in Massachusetts and California.
"When you're searching for basic health information - from conditions like insomnia or food poisoning - our goal is provide you with the most helpful information available. We're trying this new feature to see if it's useful to people," a Google spokeswoman said.
