Google plan for medical info raises privacy issues

GOOGLE PLAN FOR MEDICAL INFO RAISES PRIVACY ISSUES
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Janet Kornblum]
Thousands of patients at the Cleveland Clinic will be able to turn to Google to access their medical records online -- everything from their prescriptions to diagnoses -- in a pilot program announced Thursday that worries some privacy advocates. Google joins other companies -- including Revolution Health (started by AOL co-founder Steve Case) and Microsoft, which launched HealthVault in October -- that keep personal patient records online where they can be accessed by anyone to whom a patient gives permission. The Google pilot will start with 1,500 to 10,000 patients. Greg Sterling, an analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence in San Francisco, calls Google's initiative a "good idea." But, he adds, "The problem and the challenge arise in the context of consumer privacy and data security." Both Microsoft and Google have given assurances that all data will be protected and will remain privately controlled by each individual.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20080222/1b_google22.art.htm