29 February 2008

Google reveals details of health database

Google has specified a number of details concerning its much-awaited health database.

Under the plans for Google Health, records would be stored by the search engine provider which incorporate information provided by doctors, health insurers and other parties.

Last week, Google announced it has entered into a partnership with the Cleveland Health Clinic under which more than 100,000 patients are involved in a pilot of Google's electronic personal health record system.

During a recent conference in Orlando, the search engine provider talked publicly for the first time about the product it has been creating.

It said Google Health is intended as a means of empowering users to collect, store and manage their own medical records over the internet.

According to the company, a number of factors set its offering apart from other online personal health records, including privacy features which enable patients to have "complete control" over their data.

Additionally, the facility is based on a platform strategy which enables third-party services to "interoperate" with Google Health, meaning users can automatically import information such as their prescription history and test results.

Google also draws attention to the so-called "portability" of the offering, with users able to access their records from anywhere with an internet connection and the need for paper records eliminated.

Finally, Google says that its service is "a clean, easy-to-use user experience that makes managing your health information straightforward and easy".

According to the Financial Times, Google Health could potentially give the firm "a central role as the health industry moves towards greater use of information technology".