Google Health Open Platform Is Great — Or Awful

JackPowers writes "The Google Health APIs enable portable, standardized, open architecture, extensible personal health records, which is nice but boring if they're just used to manage the paperwork of the doctor/patient relationship. But once the data is set free, all kinds of Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 apps are possible. This article looks ahead 10 years at Best Case Scenarios. A follow-up article lists the Worst Case Scenarios."

Comments

Re:Google is not to be trusted

[Lumpy]

It is already very wrong. many places pull your credit report for hiring. They throw away everyone below 680.

Honestly this practice should be outlawed and companies that do so need to be fined heavily.

also the fact taht your credit report is probably the MOST INNACURATE information you have on you and companies make decisions based on this horribly inaccurate data.

worst case scenario?

[Red Flayer]

From the worst case scenarios:

PUBLIC HEALTH

Anonymized Google Health data is mined by Pleasantville public health officials to chart wellness patterns and develop health policy. Government commissions use the stats as the basis for regulating smoking, trans-fats, sugar and alcohol. Households with strong wellness metrics are eligible for tax rebates.

Sounds like a good idea to me. People with unhealthy lifestyles cost communities and bigger units (states, federal govt) a lot of money in emergency services, medicare costs, etc. I welcome the idea that those with healthy lifestyles shouldn't be subsidizing those with unhealthy lifestyles. Plus, there is then an obvious economic incentive to become healthier.

Seems like a win-win to me.

Re:worst case scenario?

[xaxa]

And from the best case scenarios:

SCHOOL RECORDS
The Turner Twins' immunization records are forwarded to their school each September. Throughout the year, their schoolmates' anonymized records are linked to the school to keep track of ear infections, strep throat, lice and sports injuries. Schools publish aggregate wellness data to attract new students, and education watchdogs lobby for funding based on overall student health indices. School funding based on how often the children get ill? No, thanks.

INSURANCE
Trader Ted shops for insurance by selectively releasing his Google Health record on-line. He pays for regular care through a Health Savings Account, but health insurance companies bid for his catastrophic coverage based on his authenticated medical history, diet and exercise records. No mention of what happens to someone with a disease though.

In Other News

[had3l]

Scientists are baffled by the realization that most things that matter are either Good - Or Bad.

Re:Google is not to be trusted

[Hijacked Public]

Healthcare companies can already ruin your life, literally and figuratively. If one of their people incorrectly transcribes 1 character of your personal info your insurance company will deny the $35,000 invoice they send and it will fall entirely on you to sory out. That same transcription error can result in your new doctor not getting your medical records from your old doctor, who probably doesn't have a complete set anyway because to get them you'd have to put in a request from every single medical provider you've ever visited.

It doesn't have to be this way. I'm usually a big free market believer, but I'm also a vet who has been through the VA healthcare system (unfortunately named VistA). Here is a good piece that mentions the VA's system and how it is being used by an FOSS project to get some of this under control.

I don't particularly like Google, but I like the US healthcare system even less.

worst idea ever.

[lawn.ninja]

I wish I could say more, but... This is the worst idea ever. It is also one of the biggest money pits. No hospital I've ever worked for would let control of that data go. We just had a long drawn out battle with one of our vendors about that. 2 years later they still don't have access to our data.