Google's cloud business is trying to do for medical records what it does for online searches: organize the many, scattered data for easier access and use, according to CNBC.
Google Cloud aims to help customers collect and organize a plethora of medical data — ranging from lab results to medical records to X-ray images — into one space. Currently, much of the patient data physicians need is spread throughout various hospitals and clinics, creating information gaps that result in expensive duplicate tests and procedures.
Using a new application programming interface, Google Cloud is working with industry partners to take in all of the important healthcare data. Stanford (Calif.) School of Medicine is one of the first enrollees in its early access program.
"I see the impact that availability of data can have in medicine, and the need for it is urgent," Greg Moore, MD, PhD, Google Cloud's vice president of healthcare, told CNBC.
Other tech giants are competing to help healthcare transition to the cloud, CNBC added. Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure have been apart of the sector for years, and more recently, Apple has gotten into the game by integrating patients' EHRs with their iPhones.
"Getting data to patients, caregivers and providers is key," Dr. Moore, who previously served as Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health System's chief emerging technology and informatics officer, said. "And that's why we're so excited about it."
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