Quantification of the Terminological Gap: A Google Trends Analysis of Lay vs. Medical Search Terms. (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED In clinical practice, patients often use online searches for health information, but a "terminology gap" between medical and lay terms affects retrieval. This study analyzed search volumes for 15 conditions across five medical fields using Google Trends (2021-2026). Lay terms generally had higher search volumes, with a median lay/medical ratio of 14.8. The largest disparity was in neurology (e.g., "stroke" vs. "cerebrovascular accident"). Conversely, terms like "appendicitis" are now commonly used. Findings suggest health websites and AI tools should prioritize lay terminology, especially for cardiovascular and neurological information, to improve accessibility.