Google Launches Do-It-Yourself Electronic Medical Records

Why wait for Uncle Sam to computerize medical health records when we can do it ourselves? Google is adding a new sharing feature to its Google Health service. Google launched Google Health last spring to help people keep track of their own prescriptions, allergies, test results, and other medical details. The new feature allows users to specify individuals with whom they want to share this information: family members, physicians, pharmacists, whoever you think might need to know this information.

Google's Sameer Samat gives a very simple example of how this service could help:

Just a few years ago, my father suffered a minor heart attack and was sent to the ER. I arrived on the scene in a panic, and was asked what medications he was taking. To my surprise, I had no clue. If my father had a Google Health account, and had shared his profile with me, I would have been up-to-date on his current medications [Sameer Samat, "Google Health: Helping You Better Coordinate Your Care," The Official Google Blog, 2009.03.04].

Those of you who believe in reforming health care through personal responsibility rather than government programs, well, here's your chance. Get your data on Google Health!
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