Google Health Opens To the Public 199
Several readers noted that the limited pilot test of Google Health has ended, and Google is now offering the service to the public at large. Google Health allows patients to enter health information, such as conditions and prescriptions, find related medical information, and share information with their health care providers (at the patient's request). Information may be entered manually or imported from partnered health care providers. The service is offered free of charge, and Google won't be including advertising. The WSJ and the NYTimes provide details about Google's numerous health partners.
Privacy (Score:5, Insightful)
Wow (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm quite torn here. On the one hand, having so much information readily available in one spot is rather exciting. This is especially true if Google doesn't just cave in to "Big Pharma" and allows you to see "alternative" or "herbal" remedies for prescriptions or OTC drugs you have entered.
OTHO, Google having all that information about my medical condition in one place is somewhat disturbing... Aside from rational or irrational fears about Google having this information, aren't there HIPPA issues to be concerned about here, too?
Oh? (Score:1, Insightful)
google information horde (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Privacy (Score:3, Insightful)
Maybe the laws need to be re-written.
I can't imagine that Federal & State Law foresaw 3rd party control of medical files.
Re:Wow (Score:4, Insightful)
"How does Google make money off Google Health?" (Score:5, Insightful)
Much like other Google products we offer, Google Health is free to anyone who uses it. There are no ads in Google Health. Our primary focus is providing a good user experience and meeting our users' needs.
I've heard enough. I don't know what their long-term plan for monetizing Google Health is, and I don't really care now. I don't trust Google enough to consider even for a second entrusting my health care information to them (and I say this as someone who has thought very highly of the company since the beginning). And their weasly answer to the obvious question above, I think, justifies my mistrust.
Every for-profit company's primary focus is - making a profit. There's nothing whatsoever wrong with this, and the ideal situation arises when "providing a good user experience and meeting [...] users' needs" is aligned with the profit motive.
So why they can't be honest about their motivations in undertaking an expensive, large-scale project like this -- whatever those motivations are -- instead of trying to make us believe that they're doing it "out of the goodness of their hearts?" All their mealy-mouthedness accomplishes is to raise the suspicion that they've got something nasty up their sleeves. And that ensures that many users, including me, will never entrust their most private of private data to Google.
Re:Wow (Score:1, Insightful)
especially true if Google doesn't just cave in to "Big Pharma" and allows you to see "alternative" or "herbal" remedies for prescriptions or OTC drugs you have entered.
Someone was bound to say something stupid like that I suppose.
There is no such thing as "alternative" medicine. There is just tested science based medicine and complete bullshit "alternative" and "herbal" remedies sold to suckers that ought to know better if they know how to use a search engine.
Alternative my arse.
Now, buried in the myriad witch doctor potions both harmless and harmful, is there a particular plant that the Mayans found cured syphilis? Probably. But until it is tested and found to work, you should not be effin around with it.
Is Big Pharma a bleedin nightmare that does all sorts of nasty corporate shit? Yes, but they also produce scientifically tested drugs that only go wrong if the testing wasn't quite right. Getting the testing right is extremely difficult and sometimes we still get bad drugs, but how giving up tested drugs in favor of random made up BS is a better idea is beyond me.
Things need to change in US health care and drug production, but replacing it with stupid hippie feel good crap isn't what is needed.
If Google wanted to list "alternative" remedies then they don't need a database, they just need to randomly select a web page and print it. Perhaps they could send people to ncreview.com [ncreview.com] where they can buy a book explaining how to ask their dead pets about it?
Re:Privacy (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't trust Google. I'm of the opinion that companies have to obey the rules/laws of government. I'd rather "trust" the government if they said that HIPAA doesn't apply to Google rather than Google saying that HIPAA doesn't apply to them. There is a part of me that actually hopes that Google gets slapped by the government for violating HIPAA.
Re:google information horde (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Wow (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:"How does Google make money off Google Health?" (Score:5, Insightful)
Note to users: Change your GMail password (Score:3, Insightful)
Well, now you just got a shinny new Penile Prosthesis Insertion - Non-inflatable AND a Penile Prosthesis Insertion- Inflatable.
Have a nice day.
Re:Privacy (Score:3, Insightful)
I find the privacy concerns a bit off beat.
I do online banking.
I file my taxes online...
When is there such sensitivity about my health data. As far I see, it is password protected, and as long as the data is not shared with people outside my 'approved list', I have no issue with it. Google might eventually adopt HIPAA, but I seriously doubt Google will be freely sharing your private information with health insurance providers without your consent. Maybe I trust google too much.
Quite frankly, I hope google is able to do this securely. I'd love to go to my doctor, and have everything he writes about me be sent to google health. I'd love for test results to be automatically sent to my google profile. The system is in bad need of this kind of electronic health freedom. Right now the medical system is a veil of secrecy.
As long as it remains opt-in and give you control of what is stored, I think it can only be a good system. I could definitely see people wanting to hide certain diseases like HIV... from their online system. They might be afraid a friend or family member might get into their account.
Re:Privacy (Score:1, Insightful)
Why not? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Wow (Score:3, Insightful)