Mar 02 2008
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New Google Service
I just read about a new Google service that is definitely something to wonder about.
Apparently, Google is going to begin storing the medical records of several thousand people as it tests a new health service. How are they going to adequately protect this sensitive information?
This pilot program will involve up to 10,000 patients at an Ohio clinic who willingly volunteered to participate in this new service.
Each detailed health profile will be password protected with the same password a user uses to access their regular Google account (think email and personalized search tools).
Google is excited about this because they see this as a natural progression from their existing search engine processes. Privacy watchdogs aren?t so sure about this, however. It is widely believed that Google already has too much access to your personal information, including the interests and habits you display as you surf the web and store your email.
Another concern is the fact that the patients who have elected to participate in this service are not covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). HIPPA established very strict standards for the classification of medical information as privileged communication between a doctor and patient. In short, this means that a patient who decides to transfer medical information to an external service (Google) could be setting themselves up for the government or a legal adversary to obtain the information.
Also, if information is not protected by HIPPA, it could also be used for marketing purposes.
What remains to be seen is how Google intends to profit from this new service. Perhaps its as innocent as a new way to increase site traffic. Perhaps not.
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