Prediction of Age-Adjusted Mortality From Stroke in Japanese Prefectures: Ecological Study Using Search Engine Queries.

Stroke-related search behavior was associated with age-adjusted mortality from stroke in each prefecture in Japan. Query terms that were strongly associated with age-adjusted mortality rates of stroke suggested the possibility that individual characteristics, such as sex and age, have an impact on stroke-associated mortality and that it is important to receive medical care early after stroke onset. Further studies on the criteria and timing of alerting are needed by monitoring information-seeking behavior to identify queries that are strongly associated with stroke mortality.