Google Continues Its Plans to Take Over the World

Google has just entered into an agreement with the Cleveland Clinic to develop its personal health record (PHR) platform.

I haven't completely made up my mind, but if we're pushing for portability and independence, then I think that is probably better than having what's also known as an electronic health record (EHR) with one's insurer.

Aetna has a seemingly comprehensive (and I believe the first of such depth) personal health record system that Aetna members may use, and to which their health care activity is automatically added. Members may supplement that with their own entries about family medical history and other pertinent information.

But what if you want to change insurers? If you keep it on Google with your photos and email and other stuff, then it's probably worth the extra work of putting the information in yourself. You may read an article here about Google's plans with the Cleveland Clinic or check out Aetna's PHR here.

HealthVault

Does anyone else think it's funny how often we combine words now? HealthVault, UnitedHealthcare, WhealthWatcher$... those are just a few of the prominent names who have done this.

Well, Microsoft has stepped into the fledgling electronic medical records (sometimes called "electronic health records") business. We'll see if this one grows roots. Nothing else has made much of an impact yet. Problems facing the adoption of electronic medical records include privacy concerns of consumers, guarded insurers, and the fact that only about 20% of doctors and hospitals keep electronic records. They're usually just pieces of paper in a folder.

Check out HealthVault and see if it's any good. I'm about to do so myself.

Thank You for Smoking

Not only is it an hilarious novel by fellow Portsmouth Abbey alumnus Christopher Buckley, but it's what England's NHS (National Health Service) is saying to that nation's smokers. Not only are smokers taxed at exorbitant rates there and in the US, but now they are subject to penalties if they fail to quit during the four weeks prior to undergoing surgery for non-life-threatening conditions. The reason for the new policy is that smokers have been shown to need much longer recovery time than non-smokers.

A quote from an online forum in this article on the Daily Mail website makes a salient point -

"What about drinkers, drug takers, people who eat too much and people who never exercise?"

I'm not sure that I used "salient" correctly just then, but it sounds good. This debate will intensify as personal behavior and lifestyle choices come under increased scrutiny vis-a-vis healthcare costs. The problem is that the line is difficult to draw, as shown in the aforementioned example in England.

Here's another example: Does the exercise benefit that comes with playing in a soccer league outweigh the risks of injury that come with it? Will people start being asked increasingly personal questions about lifestyle? Will EHRs (Electronic Health Records) destroy any shred of privacy that remains in our society? Do you think George Orwell is as smart as I do? Did I use "vis-a-vis" correctly in the preceding paragraph? Where is the accent grave on my keyboard?

All of these are important questions.