Google Health - planned health information storage program

Has anyone heard about this yet?

Google Health, codename “Weaver”, is Google’s planned health information storage program.

So far only 20% of US citizens have computerized medical records, but good Bush is pushing to speed up this process.

Google is really taking over everything. Soon they will be the lens that filters our world of information.

The New York Times today writes that “about 20 percent of the [US] patient population have computerized records – rather than paper ones – and the Bush administration has pushed the health care industry to speed up the switch to electronic formats. But these records still tend to be controlled by doctors, hospitals or insurers. A patient moves to another state, for example, but the record usually stays.” But, the NYT continues, initiatives like the one by Google “would give much more control to individuals, a trend many health experts see as inevitable.” A prototype of Google Health has now been shown “to health professionals and advisers,” the NYT reports.

To find out just what you might be able to see in a future Google Health service, take a look at these screenshots from Google’s prototype which have been sent in here. As prototypes go, certain approaches of the program may change, and the specific interface may or may not be kept like this in a final release. “We’ll make mistakes and it will be a long-range march,” the NYT quotes Adam Bosworth.

Source with screenshots

Im really on the fence with this one.

On the plus side the ability of a doctor in a trauma center somehwere to insert your memory stick in a slot and pull up your records and see your health history including allergies, meds. previous imagry etc.

On the other side look at how many laptops have gone missing at Los Alamos. You are talking about a place that has strict security measures and stuff still get out. This would be a disaster if it were your information. HIPPA laws have already imped care in my experience and the requirements for this type of record may make things worse.

Also, your medical records are just that YOUR records. So if you move you can get copies to take with you. Most people do not and that seems to be the overall mentality. Most people approach thier healthcare like sheeps, sitting around waiting for stuff to filter down to them. Its your health you need to be proactive. If you are going to act like sheeple, you will get sheered

reply to post by FredT


Imagine someone getting your medical records (again, just by hacking/stealing a laptop). This person now knows your weaknesses. If you had something of interest of if the bad guys wanted to get rid of you, now they can exploit your natural weaknesses. ie. put peanut oil in your salad and bam you die from peanut allergy.

I think the only benefit of this is convenience. That is all. I rather have hard copies of my records and know that they're out there on the net (not yet).

I can agree with sentiments echoed on this thread already, as it is too easy for someone to not only steal or hack into important information, but to get login passwords. If companies like Google cannot even have fool proof email passwords and such, what is the barrier to stop someone from stealing medical records?

FredT makes an interesting point about the laptops being stolen from Los Alamos, which compounds the issue further. That is, what are the ethical issues involved when other people have easy access to others medical records via electronic means. However, something which concerns me quite a bit more is the potential for data loss. I am no expert in computer science, nor would I ever claim to be, but it seems to me that the potential for losing important data whether it be through computer crashes, network inaccessiability would skyrocket. I know that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act does make provisions for this in most instances, but the loss of this data has the possibility to cause irreprehensible harm in some instances.

There are positives and negatives on both sides of the issue, but until this vital electronic information becomes fully inaccessable to the threat of hackers and theives I reverberate the old Tim Allen adage..."If it ain't broke, don't fix it".