Google is in the early stages of a new project that aims to explore and develop a new consumer-facing health records tool for Android users, according to an April 9 STAT report.
Seven things to know:
1. Google launched a user feedback program that aims to assess how patients want to access and share their EHR data. The project could support the development of a medical records tool similar to Apple's Health Records app, according to the report.
2. A Google spokesperson told Becker's Hospital Review that the company "is running a user feedback program to test features that give users the ability to collect health information from their provider patient portals, organize, search, and share it with the people they trust in a private and secure manner."
3. The tech giant is recruiting about 300 patients for its health records study from academic medical centers and community health facilities in California, Atlanta and Chicago.
4. Google is picking study participants whose provider organizations use Epic as their EHR vendor. The study is also only open to Android device users. Participants will opt-in to and consent to sharing their feedback for the study.
5. Google is not directly partnering with any healthcare organizations for the project, according to STAT, but it has notified at least four health systems to alert them of the effort, including University of California, Davis; UCSF; Oakland, Calif.-based Alameda Health System; and Chicago-based Access Community Health Network.
6. Google's newest health records project follows recent developments in the company's Care Studio EHR tool. Earlier in April, Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center joined St. Louis-based Ascension in piloting the tool, which aims to help clinicians better organize and scan for patient information.
7. Under its company privacy policy, Google will not use any health information for advertising purposes.