We first reported on this when it was in private testing a few months ago and then I made a brief reference to Google’s new medical venture in a Friday review not long ago. Here now are my thoughts on the new feature.

<a href=Google Health Beta" height="78" style="width: 218px; height: 78px" />

Google Health announces that it is “safe, secure, and free.” It will not only store your private medical information from multiple facilities but will also let you control access to the information while acting as a medical resource of sorts. They claim they will never sell your data and “you choose what you want to share and what you want to keep private” and for further concerns to take a gander at their privacy policy. I’ve read that policy along with the 6 other pages the policy links to, more on that later. From the welcome screen you can see that Google Health can is broken down into 4 main goals:

  • Organize your health information all in one place
  • Gather your medical records from doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies
  • Keep your doctors up-to-date about your health
  • Be more informed about important health issues

While I’m a great supporter of maintaining up-to-date, organized copies of your medical records, I also know that it is a task better left to the medical professionals. I’ve worked extensively in the medical records field and not only do I understand the importance of accurate and complete records for proper patient care but I’m also certified in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA). I know just how difficult it can be to make sure a patient’s record from one hospital is fully represented in their chart. This leaves the question of why I might be opposed to Google’s new online version of the medical record. It comes down simply to accountability. According to their terms of service page: 

“Google is not a “covered entity” under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and the regulations promulgated thereunder (”HIPAA”). As a result, HIPAA does not apply to the transmission of health information by Google to any third party.”

If you want the cliff notes on HIPAA I suggest you check out the wikipedia page here and then read the full Act as enacted by congress in 1996 here. Its complex, at times confusing, and it creates government sanctioned rules and regulations on how private medical information can be used, accessed, and handled. Medical record technicians at your local hospital or primary care center are all HIPAA certified and their actions can face potential ramifications unlike the employees of Google if they break those laws. It’s not that I don’t trust Google with a lot of my private information as it is, I use gmail, but without accountability I won’t give up my personal medical history to computer wiz’s in California. They have internal accountability but Google Health has no legal accountability to its users or its third party providers like hospitals and pharmacy’s.

Google Health Conditions

Keep track of your conditions and gain a world of knowledge as only Google could provide.

Throughout the country medical providers have been switching to all electronic versions of medical records. The work I did during my tenure was an integral part of that process. The distinction is that my hospital records once electronic might be as easily hacked as Google’s but if my hospital record is hacked they are obligated to tell me and can face potential liability issues. Google wouldn’t even have to let me know.

This being said when you take the tour of Google Health to decide for yourself you’ll find some great tools that only Google could provide. The greatest benefits I see from this service are the ability to learn more about your conditions, see how your medications might interact and essentially “make your health information work for you”. While there are department’s at hospitals who are already doing that, if they aren’t going electronic for another 5 years, it’s hard to not want to join up with Google who will do the work for you.

<a href=Google Health Features" height="316" style="width: 492px; height: 316px" />

Find a specialist near you, call to make an appointment, print a map and e-mail yourself a confirmation. Useful tools but you can do that without giving them private information.

Another word of caution in regards to importing your medical records to Google Health. “You must authorize these providers to send information to your Google Health account. With that authorization, you also give them permission to send certain types of health information (such as mental health records) that are protected by federal and state laws and require special authorization.” NOOOO! Do not feel obligated to give Google access to your mental health records or drug related records. That information has an added level of federal protection and is totally separate from a regular authorization form; you have to specifically allow for records of that nature to be released. It’s up to you exactly what you allow to be sent; you do not have to give permission to allow mental health or drug related information to be accessed by Google, don’t let them fool you! Also, don’t be shocked when you get charged for this service or if your hospital simply won’t release your information to a non HIPAA certified third-party. Some establishments will release your records directly to you, and unless they are in electronic form it’s going to be a hassle to get that info onto the Google servers.

For all its potential benefits what it lacks in accountability just does not make this new venture from Google to be worth the risk. I might be in the minority for my generation but on this rarest of cases I side with the baby boomer generation in their reluctance to share such personal information. 


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