Google To Announce Web Site To Allow Storage of Personal Health Records Online
Google on Thursday plans to announce a new Web site that will allow patients to store their personal health records, the Wall Street Journal reports. According to an individual who has tested the Web site, which Google likely will call Google Health, patients can enter their PHRs on the site and electronically invite physicians to view the information. Google declined to comment on the Web site.The Web site, which will compete with similar sites operated by Microsoft and Revolution Health Group, "could boost the nation's fledgling efforts to adopt electronic medical records," the Journal reports. Many "consumers have been slow to make use of services that allow them to set up" PHRs, in part "because of concerns about online privacy," and "medical experts say that the services must be able to compile information from different practices where someone has been a patient" and "accept information from the systems the medical practices use," according to the Journal. In addition, some health care professionals have raised concerns about the use of PHRs to sell advertisements and the possibility that the federal medical privacy rule issued after the enactment of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act does not cover records stored online.
A Google spokesperson said, "For us, trust between Google and our users is one of the absolute cornerstones of our business. And we are absolutely committed to continuing that dedication in all of our efforts." George Scriban, product manager, consumer health platform for Microsoft, said, "We are trying to create an industry," adding, "We are humble in the face of how big this is" (Lawton/Worthen, Wall Street Journal, 2/28). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
