It's interesting to finally see some screenshots!

Google has been working on this for at least 1 year 2 months:

http://ruscoe.net/blog/2006/06/what-is-google-weaver.asp

Back then, it was called "M Scrapbook" (i.e. Medical Scrapbook) which was a little less cryptic than "Weaver" – which I wonder whether is linked to Dr Weaver from ER:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerry_Weaver

http://www.google.com/h9 still doesn't work :-/ it redirects to an "https" page with servicename = weaver

BTW, the screenshots seems to show that this service has been made with GWT.

Great but nothing was mentioned about privacy and how to grant access to any particular health provider?

If this might work in USA, it wont be easy for European ehealth market.

I can´t login to weaver, I get : Invalid request.

<< BTW, the screenshots seems to show that this service has been made with GWT. >>

I believe that's the case. Here are some of the URLs I believe are used by Google Health:

https://www.google.com/h9/
https://www.google.com/h9/index.html
https://www.google.com/h9/dashboard/WeaverDashboard.html
https://www.google.com/h9/dashboard/gwt.js
https://www.google.com/h9/dashboard/com.google.healthcare.weaver.frontend2.WeaverDashboard.nocache.html
https://www.google.com/h9/dashboard/images/health_logo.gif

If they exist, they redirect to the NewServiceAccount "Invalid request." screen rather than return a 404. If anyone here has access to those, congratulations!

I'm wondering what will be the address :
http://www.google.com/health already exists
http://www.google.com/healthcare already exists too
http://www.google.com/h9 doesn't seems realistic.

google.com/health and google.com/healthcare are both redirects, Google could easily replace them in the future.

There is something else behind this vanilla data entry application. The functionality represented in these screenflows should not take 1 year and 2 months.

I expect something bigger than just this. It's either the tip of the proverbial iceberg, or Goog has not been giving it the attention it deserves.

Unfortunately, this competes in my industry and one of my offerings...and I can't beat the Goog brand recognition.

> should not take 1 year and 2 months.
GDrive rumours have been flying around for years and all Google has to show for it is a buggy "Shared Storage" programme. I wouldn't be so sure about that.

Kiss HIPAA goodbye! Hello, Big Brother!!!

google sucks

Here's a functioning proof-of-concept for how to do this stuff properly (IMHO): http://www.openhealthrecord.org

I sincerely believe there is much more than this. In fact, I hope Google is leveraging their cash stores to get deals with many storehouses of health information. Also, I hope the security is at least as good as GMail and Checkout if not better. People need to be able to trust it to use it.

Manually entering in health data can be a pain, especially for families, but if they enable reporting and charting at least as good as Analytics and Finance over time (ex: your child's growth curve), I think many geeky families will bother. Hmm, this looks like a job for Google Documents.

Well, I can wish all I want but we'll have to see if this is Google brilliance (Maps/Earth,Search, Mail, Reader 2.0); Google playing catch-up (Blogger, Picasa Web, Orkut); or Google mediocrity (Pack, shared storage, Account Management, Checkout).

GDrive has an application ("Platypus" I think) that is only for Google employees. The (relatively weak) Shared Storage is just the only thing stable enough for release, IMHO. In another year, (or perhaps sooner) I expect a nice 2.0 version.

Hey, what a great place for some mesothelioma ads!

If interested, here is a PHR that you can try out; it's based upon the Continuity of Care Record (CCR) standard.

http://www.healthcapture.com

This format allows for doctors that use electronic medical record (EMR) system, to import the PHR data directly into the EMR. In other words, interoperability is accomplished, not just viewing the information but importing and exporting patient information.

Oh I just can't wait to put all of my medications and allergies up on the internet for everyone and (PAYORS) to be able to hack into! Give me a break! If you all are interested in what is going on with our personal health information, check out what really matters with Dr. Peel's Patient Rights initiatives.
http://www.patientprivacyrights.org/site/PageServer

It'll be interesting to see if they do any ad displays alongside this platform...Lipitor ads if you've got high cholesterol, for example?

mikekowieski.typepad.com/removing_all_doubt/

Your name, next to your prescriptions, and ailments sold to your prospective new boss = you ain't gonna get that job.

Your name, next to your prescriptions, and ailments sold to the insurance provider you want to switch to next = you ain't gonna get that insurance.

Philipp, Whats the record for most first time comments on a Blog story?

While I don't track that specifically here are some of the most replied-to threads:

■ Google's Da Vinci Code Quest http://blogoscoped.com/forum/27053.html
■ GMail Horror Story! http://blogoscoped.com/forum/22209.html
■ Google Press Day 2006 http://blogoscoped.com/forum/30359.html
■ Google Spreadsheet? http://blogoscoped.com/forum/37193.html

This is where the data you entered would be displayed, btw... I blackened out the actual entered conditions, e.g. the first black bar would actually be a normal text reading "Headaches" and so on:

http://blogoscoped.com/files/google-health/11.png

Why on earth would anyone consider putting their personal details onto Google?

Interesting project... today, this. Tomorrow, you'll be sending ADN samples to know your genetical future.

Awesome idea *if* the security can be made assurably bulletproof. And the subject (ie person who is putting medical records here) should be able to always see who has viewed his/her information.

I am sooooo tired of filling out the same medical history forms...

Jack Labatt: that healthcapture thing is also nice. But limiting it to firefox seems to be a silly move.

On the positive side the benefits to healthcare and science are also staggering. Giving scientists "aggregated" data stripped of Personally Health Information (PHI) in a large scale along with the aggregated browsing, shopping, and email habits would be enormous.

Think of the connections that could be made.

"AMA Study Shows: Porn site visitors have an 80% increase risk of suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome." Turns out it isn't the chairs and keyboards at work that is the problem, its the porn on the computer!

This is an excellent effort from Google. They have been pretty vocal in this domain and are finally bringing these services to bear.

However the privacy issue is still unknown. Also how would they monetize this type of service. Let's face it, building and running such a service will be pretty expensive. Check out my post on this topic.

abhishek.tiwari.com/2007/08/15/
google-a-day-keeps-the-doctor-away/

You're kidding, right? Why would I let Google anywhere near my medical information? I can already access many of medical records online through my healthcare provider (Kaiser). And I can communicate with my doctor, too. This is not an unmet need.

errr

Put private health records on teh internets are you mad – lots of consequences for abuse employers looking at people's health records.

And running a network of search engines where acracy and security are minor concerns – not quite sure that Google is up to that.

Many of the privacy / integrity objections here are just silly.

There's no reason why you would *necessarily* have to identify yourself to Google or anyone else to use such a service. GoogleHealth could be built on a completely anonymous basis or in such a way as to expose as many or as few personal details as the user wishes.

The individual could get considerable benefits from a standardized health profile format without risking any nasty consequences. Privacy is attainable.

I know, BTW, that Google is far from perfect. I also know that paranoia and conspiracy dementia are very common afflictions.

There's great potential for Google to do something fabulous here. Over the past two decades there have been numerous "initiatives" in the area of portable personal health care records. Some would feel that many of these have been bureaucracy-funded junkets, turning into overblown impractical systems. Others have been closed corporate systems, or "open" systems that haven't a snowball's chance of gaining traction.

In my opinion as a software developer, these systems fail because they are overspecified. Health care data doesn't come in neat parcels that can be packaged up into regularly-structured database tables. Real health care data is messy data. It comes in hundreds of different formats and follows hundreds of different conventions. It is cross-referenced in many incompatible ways. It is sometimes indexed and sometimes not. It sometimes uses standard taxonomies and sometimes doesn't.

I guess Google will apply their best data mining and search technology to this. They're good at locating information in the unstructured internet, and I think they'll provide equally good ways for the relevant information to be pulled out of huge piles of health care data, at the time when that information is needed.

Done right, this could be something really important and worthwhile.

Try this out: https://www.revolutionhealth.com/my-health-portfolio/ and compare. You will need to register in order to use it. It generates PDF for you so that you can take it to your doctor. It also allows your doctor to fax in your records and store them for you. Full disclosure: I work for revolution health and I also work on this product.

Imagine what Google could do with all your medical data...

Even though the federal HIPAA law does not protect privacy – we call it the "no privacy" rule – it's important to understand that Google wouldn 't have to comply with it. They're not a "covered entity." In fact, Google could share the data broadly. They could sell it to anyone, including insurers and government. They could use it anyway they wished. They could even create medical profiles on users.

NOTE: the real danger here is not the loss of privacy, although that certainly is a problem. The real danger is potential loss of personal control over medical decisions. Those who most want electronic access to private medical records will use it to deny access to medical treatment and financially penalize doctors for not treating patients with universal one-size-fits-all government and HMO treatment protocols (the so-called "pay-for performance" programs)

Personal control and patient privacy are not found in online electronic medical records, or the proposed National Health Information Network – where the chief proponents, health plans, hospitals, government, employers and the data industry, will have ready computer access to comprehensive (linked) medical records on anyone in the system.

Real privacy is found in strong informed patient consent laws, medical data ownership laws, and personally-owned medical records on flashdrives you take with you everytime you see the doctor.

Want to know more, visit our website: Citizens' Council on Health Care: cchconline.org

Quite honestly, the implications of this move are quite scary, specially from a standpoint of privacy.

We were having a similar discussion over in TuDiabetes a while back:

tudiabetes.com/forum/topic/
show?id=583967%3ATopic%3A2605

I like the concept. I move and travel frequently so I change providers frequently.

I use a Word document that has essentially the same information as I see in the screen shots. I did this to avoid having to remember all the details at each registration.

Most providers like my home grown portable medical information. About 50% read it before they enter the room – I help the other 50% through (step by step) what I consider the pertinent information related to a visit.

One area I don't see in the screen shots is "Current Issues". For example, if I see a urologist I will list a few items to highlight why I am there. Current Issues items are different if I see someone for an URI. I like to keep a running list of Current Issues but not print the history – only what concerns me in the present.

Finally – medications (prescribed and OTC), herbs and supplements. They change over time and, like Current Issues, I like to keep a running history – but only print what I am using in the present. For example, if I suspect that I need a hernia repair – then I discontinue all the supplements that have a blood thinning effect. I print what I discontinued within the last month as well as what I continue to use. I find that herbalists know more about medications than physicians know about herbs and I like the idea of having and easy to access database about both because I see myself as the conductor during my medical "concerts."

OH! Don't forget prescriptions for eyes. I find the optometrists use different machines than the ophthalmologists. Should would be nice to have an automatic converter on this system.

To conclude – what I use gets good comments from providers. I can access my data from just about anywhere because I back it up online. However, I don't have a way to link my data to databases that help me keep up the research, indications and contra indications. In the meantime, I just want to be sure I provide the pertinent data and that the data I do provide is actually read. I am just as concerned about privacy related to medical data as I am about financial and personal data.

I hope this project flies.

I too was worried about the privacy issues but some things that should set the mind at ease:

- This service is designed to be totally anonymous if you want it to be. Consider it a "lock box" that you have the keys to but no one else needs to know who it is for. Even the systems sending data to it. Trust me I know how the model is going to work and it is simple but genius. It will need to be marketed to explain why it is private but it is. I have been working on integrations with it.

- Your employer and healthcare PAYORS already have this information. Many people don't realize it but the scariest scenarios are already possible in that the payors know what conditions you have and how expensive you are and can communciate that wtih your employer. They may not know your LDL was 300 but they know you have high cholesterol. So that horse is out of the barn. This is meant to help the provider side of the equation.

- The existing PHR companies are in bed with the payors. Who do you think pays for most of those "free" initiatives to get docs and patients using a PHR? This one is much mroe ubiquitous and will integrate more broadly without having the strings attached to exclusive deals with payors are specific hospital systems

I am not saying there aren't some questions yet to be answered but in the PHR space this is a good move and probably the one that has the best chance of really having more people actually use one.

This is cool and interetsing app, but honestly it is a bit to big brotherish for me.

Google would have essentially medical records and extremely personal information of millions of people.

I am just not comfotable with the idea.

Wonder if anyone in development has ever received homecare servcies?? Don't see it mentioned here yet!

Why do I care if they have a bunch of anonymous healthcare information about me? If they don't know it is about me then why would I be worried?
  
Knowing there is a 40 year old male that has hypertension, high cholesteral and even HIV doesn't mean anything to anyone. I certainly wouldn't link my Health account to my gmail account even though I am sure it is possible to do that.

I think if they explain the best way to use this system anonymously it may have some potential. If you look closely they do even allow you to enter your personal information. Very smart.

I also work for a company that offers personal health records as one of its wellness services (wellness360.com). It's time the medical industry went paperless, too!

The benefits outweigh the risks. Having a PHR empowers consumers, and makes it possible for you to share critical information with a doctor at the moment he or she is about to make a decision about your health – even if you are traveling or move. Most people have several doctors that don't communicate, and right now the doctor "owns" your information, so moving is a nightmare. You don't even want to think about having to track down paper-based medical records if one of your parents gets in a car crash or develops Alzheimer's! (You won't have permission to see the records. But you would if your parents had spent 10 seconds giving you emergency access to their wellness360 PHR.)

I was skeptical about privacy until I saw how our IT set up accounts: everything is double encrypted and de-identified, which means that we remove your name and personal information. You are just a barcode to us! We are independent of employers and even insurers, which makes it easy for us to be HIPAA compliant. We protect your medical information to the same degree as the National Security Agency’s data. On top of that, we use fax technology that fees the info electronically directly into your account – we never even see it!

I think this is one of those cases where people who don't know how it really works are more worried about the exception than the rule. Remember when people didn't want to start wearing seat belts because they were afraid they would get stuck on a train track and not be able to unbuckle in time?

I have been watching this for some time now. I am really concerned about my medical records information being available to Google. After all, look what they do with Gmail.

If you want to keep a personal health record online, there is a much better source available at www.zebrahealth.com. They have all of the features that Google talks about and more. They also have a very clear privacy policy that is HIPAA compliant. I trust them far more than one of these huge companies.

[URL unlinked – Tony]

What about dialysis and diabetes logbook.

Will need to have averages and maybe a chart for the doctor to review.

This feature could help people keep track of their stats.

If Google wants this to fly it will. And, there is a lot of research money in it from the gov. This will happen, what is important is for people to learn about it, and keep the pressure on to keep it private.

All those geeks can algorithm up an engine, they can figure this privacy protection thing. The problem is not google, the problem is the insurance companies coluding with the HR outsourcing guys and all of the other ways our behavior is tracked.

1. Technically, privacy is solved, although perception/emotion lags. The adoption curve will apply here too.

2. The real issue here is value chain power shift and that is generally difficult as some of the vested interests milking the current configuration won't support change. And it's not just financial: when your EMR is a private paper/electronic record in your doctor's office, what is the risk differential of litigation for a mis-diagnosis compared to a patient controlled EMR that doctors make entries to?

3. Technology can change overnight, but behaviour change is very difficult to change.

4. Points 2 & 3 make this attempt at change a monumental task.

5. The Healthcare value chain will only get healed when consumers take responsibility. A patient controlled EMR is part of the solution, but this effort nees to deliver tangible customer benefit if it is to transcend the apathy gap.

6. "Who polices the policemen?" is an as-yet unsolved societal issue. Do you trust your government? Gimme a break! Google has earned a right to be at the top of the heap, for now. Who else can give you a viable, sustainable, free service and has the money, brains and commitment to shake up an entire industry (eg advertising), but Google? (.org's , before you jump down my throat, remember this needs marketing too and lobbying which takes brand momentum and cash.... the pharma lobbies are just as powerful as telco and one only needs to look at the net neutrality debate to realise how fair the [FCC] [ add your favourite substitute] is when money and [Ted Stevens'] understanding [add your favourite substitute] are involved;

7. While this looks very simplistic*, Google's start simple, iterate quickly and be market driven approach, has proven superior to the ivory tower Ben Hur project approach. There's probably more to the iceberg too...
* I have previously founded a software company that had an integrated ERM, Practice management system for doctors/clinicis to link to funders for claims transformation, processing and payment, so I have some experience here.

I'm open to errors, so for knowledeable, rational debate (jerrya at gmail dot com)

OK, I don't think anyone mentioned this yet, but take a look at the Immunzation screen shot. Maybe Google should run spell check on their pages before they release screen shots. LOL. Look above the drop-down menu.

Interesting but wholly underwhelming. The whole notion of a consumer entering their health hx online is flawed. Adam was at the RWJ sponsored Connecting Americans to their health conference last year and heard all about the "connected" PHR. So I am shocked to see a beta with a bunch of simpleton health hx edit screens – expected much more from goog.

I hope some of the others are right that there is much more under this iceberg tip though I question the judgment of showing this tip in specific. more details re: these connections that are alluded to would be great. Or something innovative that addresses health literacy or the tremendous (and prohibitively expensive) pain it takes to enter hx online... where is the renowned goog product management and usability science.

fire the product manager and start over.

I like the sites that take more of a "make the patient smarter" not the information dumber approach. Even doctors have limited time to research all the options. I've used Wikipedia, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov and http://www.curehunter.com for my psoriasis research. Google is still difficult to get real information out of, I'm not sure how collecting people's personal information is going to help. I guess it does follow their "the data is the program" philosophy of late.

Do you people actually think your medical information at healthcare corporations is secure? These enterprises are selling your data all the time. Try to ask your health provider for a form to sign to restrict your healthcare information to only those providers that treat you. You will be laughed out the door. Those "privacy notices" that they have you sign are waivers of privacy. Read the fine print.

Never, ever, ever.

First of all, while google may be trustworthy now, I have no guarantee, or faith, that is will remain so. So there goes google selling your data.

Second of all, no doctor worth his salt will trust the information. Not to be complete or accurate. So a doctor is still reduced to getting your history from you, whatever clinics/hospitals/doctor you've had before etc..

Third of all, while I go online to learn about medical problems, I still listen to a doctor. People wanting to circumvent doctor merely look at the cost of a doctor and call it a thing of the past. While getting good information is essential you should never take over their job. Especially since I see Google marketing waiting for the chance to push whatever product on you. Sure, doctors get bought by the pharmaceutical industry, but imagine they had a one stop shop via google. Anyway I trust my doctor, not Google.

If this does happen I would be in favor of making use of this information illegal for medical profesionals. It is just asking for major problems.

Of course, in the US and other places with substandard healthcare, it might be an improvement. Yes, the US has substandard healthcare, especially viewed from the standard of the Netherlands. Unless you have money. Then the US is really good.

There are exceptions. Take a look at lifesensor from ICW:
lifesensor.com/index.php?id=us&L=1 and especially at lifesensor.com/en/us/us-hn/
lifesensor/data-privacy-confidentiality.html

Only the patient decides who is getting access to the informations. No selling of records or something. Your doctor can put and read Informations into/from your record (if you grant access). These are marked as proofed by a proffessional and from a reliable source. At the US you can get an extra assistent for diabetes. A fitness and a nutrition assistent will be available soon.

The record ist sold at germany for 60 Euro a year. So there is no need to sell the informations. You get plenty of functions and informations for small money. Take a look at it.

[Unlinked URLs. -Philipp]

This is interesting yet innovative and useful.
No doubt the world is turning papaerless and
swiftly.
Developing countries are still way off from attaining the
mark and the ubiquity of google might just but offer
that link that sorts out the mess.

This is big game

I am surprised how at the poor design and user interface of this product. Looks like there was little or no input from a practicing physician. It has all the trappings of a design that could only originate in the mind of a nurse-manager or a bean counter. Time for Google to stop wasting money and get new guys with experience on the job...

We've got all this online now for free at:
www.worldmedcard.com

we're still piecing together an ad revenue model to pay for it..
This is needed in medicine.. not sure about the advanced internet integration though.. I like the information being in a "vault" with clearly defined input pathways such as faxing... output must be restricted to healthcare providers and patients.

BTW, forgot about thumbdrives... the patient WILL use it.. especially when they need it.