Google wants access to your browsing history, phone, your home, appliances, and now.... your medical records.

November 12, 2019, 09:58 PM

Google has partnered with Ascension Health to have access to the medical records of all patients in the network. Who the hell is Google and why do they need access to every facet of our lives? Oh yes, the cloud is so much better than secure servers in the hospital system.

https://wwmt.com/news/local/as...-medical-information

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Ascension, the largest non-profit healthcare company in the country, is partnering with Google to share patient's private medical information to create a database for the company.

Google has had access to medical records of millions of Ascension patients since July. Patients and doctors said they were never notified their information was being shared.

In a press release, Google said they are still in the early stages of a program they call Project Nightingale. They have access to personal patient information such as name, date of birth, lab results, hospitalization and diagnoses.

They said they are focusing on shifting patient information to Google Cloud, allowing doctors and nurses to communicate about patients quicker, improving care.

Privacy expert Pam Dixon said there are advantages to digital health information, but she thinks a third party should be involved.

"I do think that there is room for having an independent, third party taking a look at what's happening at that health information that's at Google," Dixon said.

Ascension has over 2,600 hospitals in 21 states including health centers in Kalamazoo, such as Ascension Borgess Hospital.