Google Helpouts is a new service offered by Google that allows people to connect with experts from around the world. To learn more about Google Helpouts, visit the site here: https://helpouts.google.com

This month, Google announced Helpouts, a video service that puts you face-to-face with an expert anywhere in the world.

People have already envisioned all kinds of potential uses for this new tool, which is still in beta. Just imagine getting advice about a new recipe in seconds from a professional chef, or receiving a video consultation from a makeup artist.

But Google has an even bigger vision for Helpouts: to bring affordable health care to patients.

This may seem like a bit of a stretch, but the search giant has been tentatively moving into health care for years. A few recent examples include the ill-fated Google Health product, and its support for developers building medical applications for Google Glass.

In fact, it appears that the Helpouts team built the technology with the health industry in mind. The video service is fully HIPAA-compliant, meaning that clinical care providers can use Helpouts and feel confident that sensitive patient information will not be compromised. It isn’t a cheap or quick proposition to overcome regulatory hurdles — Google would not have dedicated the legal resources unless it intended to focus on serving patients.

And Google has already cherry-picked a handful of health providers who are willing to test out the service with patients. Most of these early users are individual care providers: You can sign up for a counseling session for $2 a minute, or a weight loss consultation with a nutritionist.

However, Google is promoting one service in particular, which may be its most ambitious partnership yet.

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