There is not one student here at Johns Hopkins who has never heard of Google. Anytime you need a question answered, the phrase “I’ll Google it” flies from your mouth, and your fingers type the familiar word. What most people don’t know is that Google now has the capability to keep track of your health statistics through its new feature, Google Health.
Since its launch in May 2008, Google Health has helped people across the country proactively monitor their lab results, medication intake, sleep patterns, and even diet progress. In September 2010 it was renovated and made more secure by adding more encryption and requiring a second login upon arrival at the Google Health page.
Only the patient to whom the information refers has the ability to “share” the information with the people he chooses, whether it be his spouse, child, parent, or doctor. Multiple Health accounts can be linked together, so a mother can monitor her family’s health and doctor’s appointments, or friends can collaborate on their common goals, such as quitting smoking or losing weight. Currently, there are 7.3 million people who use online health records, and an estimated 72.5 million are interested in the idea. Google Health is committed to meeting this high demand.
Google Health was created by employees at Google working on 20% Projects, a policy which allows employees to work on a project of their choosing for 20% of their total work time a week. Other projects that have originated from 20% Projects include GMail and Streetview, two very popular items from Google. Health has even received some funding from the Federal Stimulus Package under the HITech and Health IT grants so the elderly can keep their information in one place for free.
Unfortunately, Google Health is actually losing money for Google because it is not widely used, and also doesn't allow advertisements. Despite this, Marc Donner, the Engineering Director for Google Health, stresses that the goal of Google Health is to make medical information more easily accessible, and not to make money for the company.
Upon entering the Google Health website for the first time, the patient is asked to fill out basic information about him\herself, including weight, height, age, race, blood type, allergies, and medications. This is the beginning of the Personal Health Record, or PHR, that can be shared among hospitals, doctors offices, and other people. Based on what the patient enters, the website will record things like Body Mass Index (BMI), average sleep patterns, and illnesses.
On the right hand side, links to news articles and published research papers related to the subject will appear. For example, if you enter in that you only got 3 hours of sleep last night, scientific studies on sleep deprivation will appear on the side.
The obvious allure of Google Health is that you can keep track of your own medical history from the comfort of your dorm room, and you can see areas where your health could be improved (i.e.: getting more sleep per night, or exercising more). Although there are only a few medical offices actively using Health right now, those that do praise it because it engages the patient more, reduces the confusion surrounding insurance, and allows the doctors to learn exactly which medications the patient needs if he ever has a medical emergency. Google Health is not to be used as a diagnostic tool, but the presence of symptoms recorded on Google Health could point doctors in the right direction in the process of diagnosing a disease.
Google Health is a useful tool for the citizens of an increasingly health-conscience nation, but there are definitely risks to keeping all this sensitive information online. In the wake of identity thefts online, Google has done everything possible to keep health information as private as possible, and is confident that this tool will become an integral part of any medical appointment.
The patients must also take on responsibility and remember to exit their accounts at the end of their sessions. By taking precautionary measures and enforcing their practice, a patient can easily transport data and take on a more active role in his\her own health.
Marc Donner emphasizes that, as of now, Google Health is specifically tailored for the United States medical system, but Google employees are working on expanding it to other nations to allow for international PHRs. For more information on Google Health, visit the home page at:
http://www.google.com/intl/en-US/health/about/index.html