New health search tool helps users refine search results

New health search tool helps users refine search results

A new health search engine not only produces Web search results; it also helps users refine their searches. The site, www.Medstory.com, uses a "dashboard" of information to help direct users toward more in-depth searches by presenting results that are sorted by topics such as drugs, procedures, or clinical studies. For example, a search for the word "depression" produces results for different drug treatments, personal health information, and conditions such as anxiety. Rolling a mouse over a result produces a pop-up box with more information about the term and links for the user to conduct a more in-depth search about that topic. According to Medstory, the site weeds through search results to provide a wide range of information in an easy-to-digest manner. A study out this week from JupiterResearch shows that although 71% of online consumers use search engines to look for health-related information, only 16% find what they're looking for.   ----   Medstory Provides Breakthrough Search Technology for Consumers and Professionals Seeking in-Depth Health and Medical Information; New Online Service Aims to Simplify the Search for Health and Medical Information Business Wire via NewsEdge Corporation : FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 19, 2006--Medstory, Inc., a provider of leading edge intelligent search technologies for consumers, professionals and organizations, today officially unveiled its newest service focused on health and medicine. The online service can be found at www.medstory.com. Medstory provides users who are performing health-related searches with an instant dashboard of information, summarized from Medstory's real-time analysis of their search. For example, a user searching for information on "lowering cholesterol" is instantly presented with highly relevant information such as drugs (e.g., simvastatin and atorvastatin), nutrition (e.g., olive oil and soybeans) and other interests spanning personal health to clinical research. This dashboard allows users to easily discover relevant information and is also used to locate the most pertinent resources. This is different from other search services that mainly offer lists of web pages ranked largely by link popularity. "Medstory is introducing a breakthrough way to search, driven by knowledge of the field," said Alain Rappaport, founder and CEO of Medstory. "Our search results are a comprehensive and interactive dashboard of information that instantly summarizes the information that matters. Without this, you are left with the very difficult task of doing it yourself." In a complex area like health and medicine, searchers need technology that leverages knowledge of the field to assist them in rapidly discovering high-value information. Medstory addresses this need by helping users weed through the often-confusing volume of health and medical information online and provides them with in-depth and relevant information. "We power intelligent search across a broad spectrum of information, for both consumers and professionals," continued Dr. Rappaport. About Medstory: Medstory's mission is to enable users to search complex fields on the Web intelligently, starting with health and medicine. Medstory's intelligent search technology was developed while delivering highly specialized search platforms for the biotechnology and healthcare sectors. Medstory's goal is to provide highly efficient search solutions for all types of motivated users, consumers and professionals. The company was founded by Dr. Alain Rappaport, who also co-founded Neuron Data (later Blaze Software), a leading global provider of artificial intelligence and business process software. Headquartered in Foster City, California, Medstory is backed by a group of eminent angel investors and advisors from the high-technology, health care and financial industries and academia. For more information, visit www.medstory.com.