Microsoft HealthVault and Google Health represent a new model of health information exchange with Web-based, consumer-oriented PHR products that emphasize interoperability according to a new report from Stanford, Conn.-based Gartner Inc.
With such size and market presence, Microsoft (Redmond, Wash.) and Google (Mountain View, Calif.) can impact the business strategies of care delivery organizations and regional approaches to health information exchange. The “Microsoft and Google Begin a ‘Battle of the Brands’ for the Personal Health Record” report finds:
· While preliminary efforts from Microsoft and Google are currently focused in the U.S., they will reach out other countries.
· The two vendors are currently focusing on partnerships with health IT system developers and healthcare institutions. The focus will shift to consumer enrollment in the future.
· These efforts ultimately will succeed based on consumer perception of a suitable risk-to-reward balance for sharing data.
