Most of us use search engines on a regular basis to find answers to questions. “How long do I cook a turkey?” “Why won’t my e-reader charge?” “What’s the best ointment to treat diaper rash?” While search engines are often helpful, the sheer volume of information can often be confusing and even contradictory.
Now, Google is turning seeking help on the Internet on its ear with the creation of a new concept called “Helpouts,” a fusion of Google+ Hangouts, the company’s online social media virtual gathering place; Google Wallet, its online payment functionality; and some of its identity tools. The goal of Helpouts is to create a paid online advice and informational service that will allow you to connect with an expert in a dedicated video chat. The tagline that Google has come up with for Helpouts reads, “Real help from real people in real time.”
According to TechCrunch, which helped introduce the service, users will be able to ask a variety of questions across multiple subject areas.
“Imagine a video chat session that you are paying for, that lasts for as little as a minute or two,” writes TechCrunch’s Alex Wilhelm. “You have an issue, say, what is this lump on my hand, or, how do I pull off a particular makeup trick, and have a quick chat with a person who can see what your problem is.”
The real trick, of course, will be populating Helpouts with experts, particularly when it comes to healthcare questions (People who offer makeup tips may be a little easier to come by than qualified medical experts). To seed Helpouts, writes Wilhelm, Google has assembled a collection of just a little more than a thousand brands and individuals so that people can dig in from day one. But, Google will need far more experts across a variety of subject areas, and it must ensure that those people are knowledgeable enough that users feel they are getting the expert advice they are paying for.
While many people agree that videoconferencing has an important place in the future of affordable healthcare, banking on an available pool of healthcare experts is a dicey prospect. To succeed on the healthcare front, Google would need not only to assemble a database of providers but also to ensure they are available in real-time. It would also need to take some responsibility for the advice being handed out. For healthcare questions, this concept alone is enough to give teams of lawyers fits.
The prospects of a similar service offered by a dedicated healthcare group that would take responsibility for making the providers available would seem to be far better. The challenges, however, would be stiff. How to make sure qualified personnel are available at all times? How to keep the process affordable, yet still ensure it doesn’t cost a healthcare group, such as a clinic or hospital, more money than it brings in?
Still, experts agree that the future of affordable healthcare is in this very type of concept. It can cut down the number of people walking into physical facilities for routine problems (“What is this skin rash?”) It can help healthcare organizations balance their time and their workforce better, and it can make healthcare more accessible for more people.
Edited by
Blaise McNamee
