Google Launches Online Health Records Service

Google has launched google.com/health, the latest in a field of online personal health services that allow consumers to send records to doctors and clinics and to schedule their care. Early tests indicate that patients are excited to use the portal—and unconcerned about putting personal information in the hands of a large tech company, the New York Times reports.

The records are controlled by individuals, not their doctors. The centralized service could be helpful to doctors, though, as shared information lowers the risk of bad drug interactions, among other issues. Google, which is entering a market where Microsoft already has a presence, has two dozen partners in its new offering; it won’t be selling ads for the space. (More Google Health stories.)