Google, the other 800-pound gorilla, has its own plans

I was going to wait until the big concept was more crystalized. But "Google preparing health portal; pitching WebMD and Intuit as partners," an entry by the senior writer of The Deal, a VC investor site, spills the beans on what Google intends to do in healthcare. And I could no longer remain patient.

The plan, as it stands now, calls for there to be four different directories for each different type of user. The prospect of listing a separate directory for medical devices seems to have been scrapped. Users will be able to log in with their own account information and do things such as add a new medical provider, check their medical records or pay their bills.

The product would also provide information about hospitals such as the frequency that a hospital performs a specific type of procedure or which hospitals perform which procedures most often.

It's interesting to see Silicon Valley shifting its eyes to healthcare in such a big way. This is likely a good thing, as good uses of info tech could go a long way in making the entire experience better. The question is: Will people trust a private Internet company, even Google, with their sensitive personal data? Especially since people fear how they'll be perceived by potential employers, insurers and individuals when their ailments are exposed; people are perhaps fear security break-ins even more.

Google's current "offering" in healthcare, Co-Op, a directory of search results for health-related terms, is definitely induces much less anxiety.