Usefulness of web search queries for early detection of diseases in infants

Early detection of diseases is critical in infants. This study evaluates the usefulness of web searches in predicting diseases in order to encourage guardians to consult a doctor promptly if their children are ill. We collected six months of search queries from Yahoo! JAPAN Search between October 2016 and March 2017. Using a machine learning model, we investigated the accuracy of the search query’s ability to predict the diagnosis of biliary atresia and hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Both diseases were modeled with an accuracy of approximately 80%, and symptoms related to the disease were significant features in the model. These findings suggest the possibility of detecting diseases from web search queries performed by guardians. Through future research, we intend to propose a method that uses web search queries for early detection of these diseases by providing appropriate and timely information to support the guardians of patients.