Today, patients can easily manage and access their personal medical records online via Google Health, a simple and effective program that removes the hassle of paper filing systems. In addition, Google Health has simple, well-documented Application Program Interfaces (APIs) and employs the use of health information standards – including the Continuity of Care Record (CCR) and ASTM International – to transfer, retrieve and store patients’ health information.

Thanks to these advances in technology, healthcare professionals can now empower patients to gain control over their own medical histories – and encourage them to spread the word about Google Health among friends and family as well! Asking patients to import their medical records to this platform is a crucial step in digitizing health records, as healthcare software and device developers can then create personalized information for each user by accessing the patient’s information from the operating platform.

Google Health has taken the user’s privacy concerns into account as well, implementing the highest level of online security that includes but is not limited to the use of digital certificates and end-to-end public key encryption. In addition, Google Health allows physicians to analyze cross sections of a single patient’s medical history, and/or to compare it with multiple patient histories – as long as the patients have all granted access.

Patients can formulate electronic medical records in Google Health simply by creating a Google account and signing up for Google Health. Next, they are prompted to import their records online and to add the name and location of any medical providers. There is also room to add a variety of other medical information, as well as a number of questions that must be answered, including data regarding the patient’s height, weight, age, existing medical conditions, etc.

Physicians and patients who work together via Google Health will be ahead of the curve in the effort to centralize the nation’s medical records. Doing so will prevent loss, reduce errors and improve the quality of care – what are you waiting for?

Kirsten E. Silven