Google health adds features to personal health record service

PT: Magazine of Physical Therapy, May, 2009

Google Health has added new features m the online personal health records (PHR) service it offers. Google Health permits individuals to store their health records online, including records of current and past medications, allergies, procedures, immunizations, conditions, and test results. The information can be entered by the patient, or the data can be imported from a list of Google Health integrated partners, such as hospitals and neighborhood pharmacies.

Google adds: "Google Health is a PHR, but it is also a bit of a different model. We believe it's not enough to offer a place where you can store, manage, and share your health information. You need m act on your health information to better manage your health needs on a daily basis."

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Google's recent enhancements include the ability for a user to share health information with family members, friends, physicians, or others in their health care network. A user provides the e-mail addresses of the persons with whom they wish to share information. Those persons then will be able to view but not make changes m the profile. Users also may graph their test results visually to see how key numbers progress over time. A new feature allows a user m print out his or her Google Health profile in several formats, ranging from a wallet-sized PDF m a letter-sized version.

Google Health also encourages health care organizations and services m become partners and integrate services. A few examples of Google Health partners:

* Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center offers a patient portal, called Patientsite, that connects its patients to their medical records online. Patients at BIDMC can securely import their medical records from BIDMC to their Google Health accounts.

* Cleveland Clinic patients have access to their medical records using MyChart, an encrypted, online health management mol. Patients can securely import their MyChart records into their Google Health profiles.

* MinuteClinic is a provider of retail-based health care using nurse practitioners. A patient who receives treatment at a MinuteClinic can securely import the visit summary into his or her Google Health profile.

For more information: www.google.com/health