Google Will Start Storing Medical Records Online, Allowing Private Web Access to Patient Records and Prescription Info

Google Inc. has announced it will start storing medical records online. The search giant will begin testing the new program by storing medical records from several thousand Cleveland Clinic patients who volunteered for an electronic transfer of their personal health records to Google. The new medical records service won't be open to the general public.

Each health profile, which includes information about a patient’s prescriptions, allergies and medical history, will be protected by a password that is also used to access other Google tools such as e-mail and personalized pages.

The new Google service has raised concerns with privacy experts because the stored medical information isn’t protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which established strict standards that classify medical information as a privileged communication between a doctor and patient.

The convenience of online health records could come at a price, potentially making it easier for the government or some other entity to obtain private medical information.

The World Privacy Forum has issued the following cautionary warnings related to the new Google service:

• Legal and Policy Analysis: Personal Health Records: Why Many PHRs T... (PDF File)
• WPF Consumer Advisory: The Potential Privacy Risks in Personal Heal... (PDF File)