Get your medical records online, courtesy of Google and Microsoft

by RoryLitwin

Google and Microsoft have both been working on new services to provide access to medical records. Pretty exciting huh? Microsoft’s thing is HealthVault and Google’s is Google Health. I’m sure it’s all very secure and only accessible to Microsoft and Google employees for serious purposes, as governed by those always-changeable privacy policies.

What I’m wondering though is whether there’s a Facebook app in the works. How neat it would be to have my medical test results show up on my mini-feed.

2 comments on “Get your medical records online, courtesy of Google and Microsoft”

  1. Scary concepts and it will certainly take some convincing (at least in certain circles). From what I’ve read, Google has observed that a significant amount of the search is on health related topics. I guess their just trying to capitalize on that.

    Keep in mind that they already have some of this information if you conduct your searches while logged in with a Google account.

    What is the price of ease?

  2. Junk Food Science has been doing a very valuable series of articles on the dangers of Google Health and similar programs. One thing Sandy points out is that in the US, our medical records are only protected by HIPAA privacy laws so long as we never sign anything that releases them outside of our doctor’s office — and “outside of our doctor’s office” includes not just Google Health, but an insurance wellness program or anything similarly benevolent-looking. A promise to retain privacy is just a promise, not bound by any laws or contracts.

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