Google announced yesterday that it is giving up on its vision to help people access their health and wellness information online [1]. The internet search giant will discontinue Google Health at the end of the year.
Health Highlights – April 13th, 2009
Health Highlights is a biweekly summary of particularly interesting articles from credible sources of health and medical information that we follow & read. For a complete list of recommeded sources, see our links page.
- Safe Cookware | Mark’s Daily Apple
Mark Sisson considers cookware and the effects of different materials on health.
- Science as a Search Function | The Decision Tree
Thomas Goetz reports on a project between 23andMe, the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Parkinsons Institute and Clinical Center to develop a Parkinson's Disease genetic database.
- Imagine someone had been managing your data, and then you looked. | e-Patients.net
e-Patient Dave describes the issues he experienced when he uploaded his personal health data into Google Health. Do you know what's in your medical record?
- Pallimed: A Hospice & Palliative Medicine Blog: Hospice Patients Feel Abandoned by Doctors
Dr. Christian Sinclair reviews eight reasons why contact breaks down between a physician and patient following hospice enrollment.
- 20 Simple Ways to Get Happy: State of Mind | Reader’s Digest
In these tough economic times, it can be challenging to keep a positive outlook. Reader's Digest offers 20 ways to take control of your mood and improve your health.
- Can a doctor sue a patient for a negative online review? | KevinMD.com
There are a number of online review sites where patients can write about their experiences with physicians. Kevin Pho writes about the negative aspects of these rating sites.
- New England Journal Of Medicine: Fewer Than 17% of Hospitals Have Adopted Electronic Medical Records | ThePatientReport.com
The PatientReport.com reports on a recent study on the use (or lack thereof) of electronic health records in hospitals.
Gene Genie #32 – Googling the Genie
Welcome to the 32nd edition of Gene Genie, a blog carnival devoted to genes and genetic conditions. This edition includes some excellent articles on genes and gene-related diseases, genetics, genomics and personalized genetics.
Google Health launched publicly this week and to recognize the event, the last section of the carnival is devoted to articles specifically about the service. Google, financial backer of 23andMe, also funds the Personal Genome Project, which plans to unlock the secrets of common diseases by decoding the DNA of 100,000 people in the world’s biggest gene sequencing project [1]. With the vast number of genetic data points collected for each genome sequenced, a digital system for the movement and storage of personal health information is critical for the widespread use of individualized healthcare. Google’s entrance into the online personal health records market may thus help to accelerate the era of personalized medicine.
With these thoughts in mind, let’s get to this month’s edition of the Genie.