Skip to main content

Google Testing Health Records System

 Google Testing Health Records System

Internet giant Google has announced it has embarked on a pilot project with the Cleveland Clinic which will involve Google storing the medical records of between 1,500 and 10,000 patients. Participation will be voluntary—patients must consent to having their records handled by Google’s new service. The Cleveland Clinic already operates its own electronic records system called MyChart; however, the Google service will make medical records available to patients using the same passwords they can use to access Google’s other services, like GMail. The records will include details about prescriptions, medical conditions, allergies, and the like, the patients can allow physicians and others to access at their discretion.

"By using the GData protocol already offered in many Google products, and supporting standards-based medical information formats like the Continuity of Care Record (CCR), our health efforts will help you access, store and communicate your health information," wrote Alan Newberger, an engineer on Google’s health team. "Above all, health data will remain yours—private and confidential. Only you have control over when to share it with family members and health providers."

Recommended Videos

Google previously announced Google Health would open its doors in 2008, but the company hasn’t offered any information on expanding its pilot program.

Google isn’t the only major computing company looking at health information: Microsoft announced its own HealthVault program late last year, aiming to provide health information as well as secure access to medical records.

Privacy advocates have warned of the dangers of storig health records electronically: abuse or security problems with the systems could result in massive invasions of privacy, discrimination, extortion, loss of employment, or other serious consequences. In the United States, third-party health information services also aren’t covered by the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which means information on those systems may be more easily obtained by the government or a third party, or even be used for marketing purposes. (Google already parses the content of email and instant messages traversing its services to target advertising to its users.) Among other requirements, HIPAA mandates patients be informed by their physicians when they are subpoenaed for a patient’s medical records.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Get up to $800 off this Speediance smart home gym system
Speediance smart home gym system Gym Monster in use

If you're in the market for a capable smart home gym or workout system, you're probably scouring the best Prime Big Deal Days discounts to find something. We don't blame you. It's one of the best times of the year to save big on tons of gear. But we've found a deal you might be interested in. The Speediance Gym Monster is a smart home gym that combines AI-powered cardio and strength training. It also comes in a variety of packages, which we'll explore further, like the Family Plus, Works, Works Plus Max, and more. Our top pick is the Speediance Gym Monster Works for $2,299, which is $750 off the usual price of $3,269. Of course, there are more options to check out.

 
Why shop the Speediance Gym Monster smart home gym system for Prime Big Deal Days

Read more
Ring Protect rebrands to Ring Home and adds 24/7 recording
The Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 installed near a door.

Ring owners seeking to unlock everything their devices have to offer are likely familiar with Ring Protect Plans. By paying a monthly fee, you can access features such as 180-day video history, snapshot capture, and smart alerts. Today, Ring has officially rebranded Ring Protect to Ring Home -- and it’s gained some cool functionality while still retaining the same pricing structure.

Previously offered as Ring Protect Basic, Protect Plus, or Protect Pro, you’ll soon be greeted with Ring Home Basic ($5 per month), Home Standard ($10 per month), and Home Premium ($20 per month). All that’s changed here is the name, as your monthly payments will remain identical to the old Protect Plans. However, you can now add individual services to the Home Standard and Home Premium Plans -- so if you want to tack on a Virtual Security Guard or Alarm Professional Monitoring, you can do so for an extra fee.

Read more
How to factory reset Google TV Streamer
The button on the back of Google TV Streamer can help find your remote — or long press to reset the entire device.

Google TV Streamer is the latest streaming video platform from Google. It replaces Chromecast with Google TV — but actually does much more than that with the addition of hardware support that allows it to serve as a proper smart home hub.

Read more