The filter bubble and its effect on online personal health information

Search engines and social networks are increasingly used for health related inquiry by the public. The information found through search engines, or presented by social network services are typically tailored to the individual through the use of complex algorithms taking into consideration comprehensive information about the individual performing the search, often without the knowledge of the searcher. In this paper, I discuss how the technology poses challenges both for patients and clinicians, and present some ideas to mitigate these problems.