Google To Partner With IBM To Allow Consumers To Add Data From Portable Monitoring Devices to PHRs
Google has announced plans to partner with IBM to allow consumers who have accounts with Google Health, an online personal health records service launched in 2007, to add data from portable monitoring devices, such as glucose and blood pressure meters, the Wall Street Journal reports. For the program, IBM will design software that consumers can use to transfer the data to their PHRs. The software will comply with standards established by the Continua Health Alliance, a large partnership of technology and medical device companies.Google Health Director Sameer Samat said that the partnership with IBM will help consumers add to their PHRs daily data that often is difficult to organize. Dan Pelino, general manager of health care and life sciences for IBM, added that the partnership might help "kick-start" online monitoring of chronic diseases. In addition, Google and IBM hope that the partnership leads to increased use of portable monitoring devices. According to the Journal, although many of the devices "already have communicating capabilities, they generally rely on custom-built interfaces, rather than a single standard for communications" (Vascellaro/Bulkeley, Wall Street Journal, 2/5). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
