Google Health

Private health records, or PHRs as they are called in the medical community, are a relatively new way for individuals to maintain their personal health records. Using an online program, such as Google Health, patients — after agreeing to the terms and service contract — can enter in their detailed medical history manually or they can search Google’s database of health provider partners, including pharmacies, and if available, have their records imported directly from the provider.

The idea behind Google Health is that people use Google’s search engine already to search for health and medical related information so having their personal information within reach at the same location will save time and be more convenient. Given that Google’s mission statement is “to organize all the World’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”, they seem to be on the right track as far as storing personal medical files is concerned. Too, considering the Google’s server size, it makes them a perfect web-host for such massive amounts of information.

Many people may feel a little apprehensive about storing their medical records on the Internet, but given Google’s high-tech security and commitment to customer service and satisfaction, maintaining a Private Health Record is fast, easy and considerably safe — much safer than trying to keep track of paper copies of your family’s medical history. Plus, having all your medical information in one place will allow quick and easy access for you or your medical provider should the need arise. In addition to the aforementioned benefits, should you need to manage your family’s health-care information, updating is simply a matter of logging in and doing so. This way you can make sure every-one’s records are as up to date as possible, leaving nothing to chance in the event of an emergency.

Not only is Google Health a secure way of keeping track of your important medical, dental and perscription records, but it is also a free service which Google provides to their customers. Best of all, there are no ads to contend with, all you get is unfettered access to your health records anywhere you go.

Jun 21 2008

Google Health - Part 3

General, Google Health, Healthcare IT, Private Health Records

I heard from Google regarding the Aspirin vs. Plavix issue.  If you put in the full dose aspirin then the warning does show up.  As I said on the Google forum this is incorrect but I am not going to split hairs here this is not medical advise.

On to the next step, as it were.  I went to my pharmacy, which in my case is Target.  I decided to ask my pharmacist to get help to get my data into my Google Health record.

I just love what happened.  My pharmacist is a very careful person.  When I pickup medication for other members of my family she will often not discuss the other person’s health issues with me, this is as it should be.  I love picking up my daughter’s birth control medication, its like talking to a monk who’s taken a vow of silence.

I explained to the pharmacist that about Google Health and how I want to get Target’s cooperation in importing the prescription data into the PHR.  The reaction from the pharmacist was and I quote “Isn’t this against HIPAA regulations?”  I had to laugh, she knows that I am in the health care field and I explained that it was not.  She managed to get me the name of the manager further up the food chain in the pharmacy division.

So I make the calls and basically they had no interest in doing this.  Their first problem is that they don’t control the data, its a third party ISP.  They were willing to get me the name of the company but I don’t think I’ll have much luck as a single consumer.

I am going to switch gears and see if I can talk to my doctors and/or hospitals and see if I have any better luck.

7 responses so far

May 29 2008

Google Health - Part 2

General, Google Health, Private Health Records

So I loaded up all my medications with the correct dosage information. Next I went to the drug interaction tab and I came up with no interactions. Am I doing something wrong because I know that Plavix and Aspirin can interact. They even say so in the Bristol-Myers Squibb Plavix TV commercial
Here’s the Google Health Screen shot:

Google Health - Drug Interaction

This is an unhappy set of events. If I go to regular Google search I am presented with an number of regular news sources but also links that are ambulance chasers.

Here’s a CNN link from the first page of the SERPs:

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/DI/00060.html

The Plavix and Aspirin combination can represent a problem but I would rather risk the occasional nose bleed then another coronary incident.

This section needs work.

Regards,
Jordan Glogau

No responses yet

May 26 2008

Google Health - Part 1

General, Google Health, Private Health Records

Now that Google Health is live I decided to give it a spin. As I said in a earlier post I don’t think much of these efforts but Google is a big name and maybe that alone will get PHR’s in the public eye. Well, its worth a try. I have used other PHR systems but I am going to approach this from scratch. I will try to keep track of my time and comment on the interface. I won’t do this all at once so it will be a number of posts. I will try to include screen grabs when I can .

Further, when I think I need data from other health organizations I will try to contact them and see if they want to join the party. Let’s see how deep the PHR rabbit hole really is!

So lets get started. I’ve decided to go right to medications. I am doing this because this is where my main concern is, drug interaction. I take a number of medications and I know that there is a risk because of the blood thinner that I take.

The first issue is, do you have the medications handy, or do you have a list that you keep with you. I have the latter, a list from my wallet.

Here’s the screen when your trying to pick out your medications.

Medication Capture Google Health

OK, if you don’t have this list you’re lost. The real disappointment came when I finished putting in all my medications. Then I went to the Drug Interaction section. When I went there I go zero results. So I went back and only then did I realize that I need to enter the drug dosage information. Why is this a separate step, in AllScript you don’t have this separated.

Medication Dosage - Google Health

So we have to go back and enter our dosage information. If you going to separate the two steps you need to inform users that all details are needed to get the interaction advice.

A small annoyance, there are an add and edit link for each medication. After trying the add button I realized it there if you take combinations of the same drug. How hard is it to explain this in plain English. I added a record and then had to delete it and “edit” it in the right place.

Medication Add or Edit - Google Health

This could be tough, but some medicines come in multiple doses and you may take a combination of two dosage levels. Maybe just label it as dosage 1, dosage 2.

OK, now I’ve entered all my medications. At this point I am ready to see the results of the Drug Interaction. I will cover this in Part 2. In the meantime I will talk to my pharmacy, Target, and see if they are going to work with Google Health. I know I have other medications that are not active that they have in their database. This should be interesting.

2 responses so far