‘We Want To Be Helpful,’ Google Executives Promise With Push Into Health Data, But Vow Is Met With Skepticism
Google has long seen health data as a natural extension of its stated mission to organize information, but many people are wary about the company's efforts. In other health and technology news: Facebook's preventive health tool, Apple and the CES show, and a probe into Fitbit.
The Wall Street Journal:
Inside Google’s Quest For Millions Of Medical Records
Roughly a year ago, Google offered health-data company Cerner Corp. an unusually rich proposal. Cerner was interviewing Silicon Valley giants to pick a storage provider for 250 million health records, one of the largest collections of U.S. patient data. Google dispatched former chief executive Eric Schmidt to personally pitch Cerner over several phone calls and offered around $250 million in discounts and incentives, people familiar with the matter say. (Copeland, Mattioli and Evans, 1/11)
Stat:
Facebook Can't Tell If Its New Preventive Health Tool Is Working
As Facebook’s newest health tool makes its way to your feed, the company is still trying to figure out how to measure whether or not it is improving health outcomes. Launched in October, the preventive health tool is designed to nudge people toward getting recommended disease screenings and checkups, with the goal of improving users’ health and narrowing the wide gaps in health equity, including disparities in life expectancy from one state to the next. (Thielking and Brodwin, 1/13)
Stat:
Apple Barely Discussed Health In First CES Appearance In 28 Years
Breaking a 28-year hiatus, Apple made an appearance this week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Last year, the iPhone maker’s CEO, Tim Cook, made the bold claim that Apple’s biggest impact on humankind would be in health. But the company did not discuss any health-specific products at the conference this year. (Brodwin, 1/10)
Reuters:
U.S. To Probe Fitbit, Garmin, Other Wearable Devices After Philips Complains
U.S. trade regulators said on Friday they will investigate wearable monitoring devices, including those made by Fitbit Inc and Garmin Ltd, following allegations of patent violations by rival Koninklijke Philips and its North America unit. The U.S. International Trade Commission, in a statement, said the probe would also look at devices by made by California-based Ingram Micro Inc as well as China-based Maintek Computer Co Ltd and Inventec Appliances. (1/10)
