Google Announces Online PHR System, Says Web Site Will Not Include Advertisements
Google says the site will differ from similar services offered by other companies because it will allow users to automatically import information from physicians, hospitals, pharmacies, clinics and other health-related groups (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/29). Google Health will allow users to store online medical histories and X-rays, as well as information about allergies, vaccinations and prescriptions. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the program's goal "is to eliminate some of the bureaucracy inherent in medical records and give people universal access and control over their own records and information."
Google CEO Eric Schmidt said, "Thirty percent of patients switch health insurance companies each year, so the benefit of consumer interoperability is extremely significant," adding, "We wanted to apply the principles of the Internet, but we wanted to apply them in conjunction with the leaders of the medical community to get the right outcome for the end user." Schmidt emphasized that the company is not trying to replace physicians in providing patients with information; it is trying to enhance portability and accessibility. He added that the site also would ensure that health records are not lost, such as in the case of Gulf Coast residents after Hurricane Katrina (Horowitz, Orlando Sentinel, 2/29).
Google also announced partnerships with Longs Drug Stores, Walgreens, Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association and Quest Diagnostics (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/29). The company plans to announce additional partnerships over the next few weeks.
A Microsoft representative on Thursday said the company would be willing to work with Google to make the two companies' online PHR systems compatible (Orlando Sentinel, 2/29). Ads
According to the Chronicle, it is "unclear" how the service will make money (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/29). The site will be offered to users at no cost (Orlando Sentinel, 2/29). The company said it would not sell patient data without explicit consent, and Marissa Mayer, Google's vice president of search and user products, said that the company does not have plans to sell consumers' health information. Mayer also said the company has no financial arrangements with its partners (San Francisco Chronicle, 2/29).
The company said that it would not sell advertisements on the site. However, Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, said he believes Google Health eventually will include ads. Munster said, "Advertisers would pay absurd amounts of money to be seen when someone wants to, say, refill a subscription online," adding, "This is more lucrative than commerce-related search" (Graham, USA Today, 2/29).
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Google anunta RHP sistem online, afirmã site-ul Web nu va include reclame - Google Announces Online PHR System, Says Web Site Will Not Include Advertisements - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate