Google will display virtual healthcare options in search and maps

In addition, Google will surface more details about virtual health services when you search for terms like “urgent care.” You might, for instance, see a list of virtual health options along with the out-of-pocket cost for those with high deductibles or no health insurance. It’ll roll out this feature as a pilot in the US over the next week.

The company is also automatically adding links to providers’ COVID-19 information pages on Search and Maps. Google Health’s director of product management Julie Black wrote in a blog post that interest in telehealth and virtual care has risen “dramatically” since the onset of the pandemic.

Over the last several weeks, Google made government announcements about COVID-19 and travel advisories related to the pandemic more prominent in Search. It also extended free access to premium video chat features in Google Meet through September, including the option to record and save calls. That might come in handy if you want to remember what your doctor said during a virtual consultation.

―Engadget