On Tuesday, Google introduced a range of new products and features designed to support healthcare applications, including enhanced search results for health-related queries, medical records APIs, and innovative “open” AI models focused on health.

Google has leveraged AI and ranking systems to expand its “knowledge panel” responses to thousands of health-related topics in Search, while also introducing support for healthcare queries in Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese on mobile devices. Previously, Search provided knowledge panel answers for common ailments like the flu or cold, but this update significantly broadens the range of topics covered by these panels, according to the company.

Google is also launching a new Search feature called “What People Suggest” on mobile in the U.S., which uses AI to highlight content from users who have shared experiences related to specific health conditions. For example, if a user searches for common exercises for people with arthritis, What People Suggest will aggregate reports from various online forums using AI.

What People Suggest builds upon existing capabilities, such as Google’s personal health stories feature on YouTube, and appears to be designed to keep users from seeking health advice on platforms like Reddit. This move aims to provide a more comprehensive and supportive experience for users seeking health information.

According to Karen DeSalvo, Google’s chief health officer, “While individuals turn to Search for reliable medical information from experts, they also value hearing from others who have similar experiences. By utilizing AI, we can organize diverse perspectives from online discussions into easy-to-understand themes, enabling users to quickly grasp what people are saying.” This approach is reflected in the development of the What People Suggest feature.

In addition to the Search updates, Google has launched new medical records APIs globally for its Health Connect platform on Android devices. These APIs facilitate the collection of data from medical providers, allowing users to access this data across different apps and devices, including phones.

As DeSalvo explained in a blog post, “These APIs enable apps to read and write medical record information, such as allergies, medications, immunizations, and lab results, in standard FHIR format. With these additions, Health Connect now supports over 50 data types across activity, sleep, nutrition, vitals, and medical records, making it easier to connect everyday health data with data from your doctor’s office.”

In other health-related product announcements, Google revealed that the Loss of Pulse Detection feature on its Pixel Watch 3 smartwatch, which has received FDA clearance, will be available in the U.S. by the end of March. This feature can detect when a user has experienced a loss of pulse, such as due to cardiac arrest or respiratory failure, and automatically prompt a call to emergency services if the user is unresponsive.

Furthermore, Google announced the introduction of new open AI models for drug discovery, called TxGemma, following the launch of its Gemini AI models for multimodal healthcare applications. TxGemma is scheduled for release in the coming weeks, marking a significant development in Google’s efforts to support healthcare innovation.