Google Health launches electronic health information capacity for patients

Google has launched its Google Health system this week.  This service seeks to provide individuals with a way to electronically store medical records and to find medical services.  Google Health promises to only share information with a patient's permission.  It also promises to not sell any medical information.

A challenge for patients is that the current service is an all or nothing system.  It does not allow patients to make a limited amount of the total medical information available to a provider.

The service works by creating a master record of a person's health information.  It collects this information by either letting individuals add information or by importing information from different health providers.  The most ready source of this information will come from pharmacies because they already store information electronically.  In addition, some major institutions, such as the Cleveland Clinic, are participating with Google Health.

Roni Zeiger, product manager for Google Health, explained the need for this product stating, "Personal health records is an area that's just beginning.  The fact that only few people are using those tools means we"--the computing and health care industries--"haven't gotten it right yet."