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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

The patient makes barking noises when excited: Google's Personal Health Record

I did a sneaky test of Google's new personal health record, since I was wondering whether they would keep my personal health record confidential.

I filled out a completely truthful profile for a member of our family: a 6-year-old male weighing 35 pounds, who has a whistling heart murmur but is otherwise in excellent health, as he runs daily. The patient is excitable, and makes barking noises when excited or agitated – as dogs often do.

I haven't received any spam or junk mail in his name since entering his profile two months ago. This may mean Google is serious about keeping medical information private…at least for now.

Advice: Consider using a personal health record to track your family's treatments, immunizations, and upcoming appointments.

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