Google Health: influential, controversial and gone.

Google Health is no more.

Thats a shame, because I am writing a book on Health IT for O’Reilly and before this announcement, my rough draft featured Google Health extensively.

I guess this is better, though, than having Google Health shut down just -after- I finished writing my book.

Of course, I am going to have to change lots of content in the book, but Google Health will still be there.

For a project that no longer exists, it will end up being one of the most influential Health IT projects of our era. Google Health, and for that matter Google generally, has always been willing to make strong statements when they evaluate technology and technology protocols. In fact, Google has made two controversial technology picks and the opening and closing of Google Health.

At the opening Google decided that they would support CCR (Continuity of Care Record) from ASTM and AFFP rather than the much more complex CDA/CCD from HL7. The CCR vs CCD debate has been one of the most controversial and long-standing arguments in Health IT. HealthVault, the Microsoft product which survives Google Health has always elected to support both standards. But Google insisted that the CCD standard was too complex, and not only insisted on CCR, but a smaller subset of that standard.

Now, as the end support for Google Health, Google is choosing to allow export under the Direct Protocol. Again this is the simpler of the two protocols that is supported by ONC to be part of the NWHIN (the precursor to the Health Internet). The other protocol, IHE, is getting no love from Google Health.

Goodbye Google Health, whatever else I may have said about you, I must admit that you made some ballsy technical stands.

-FT

One thought on “Google Health: influential, controversial and gone.

  1. I never got a chance to try Google Health myself, but judging from your article it had a huge influence over EMRs that are being developed today. Is Google becoming the standard for technologies across the spectrum of our lives – entertainment (youtube), socializing (google+) and now healthcare? Something to ponder on for sure.

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