Currently, Web users seeking HealthGrades ratings for a doctor or hospital must pay a fee. Under the partnership agreement, Google Health users would have free access to the ratings.
Though the specifics have not yet been worked out, the idea is that Google Health users searching for doctors or clinics would obtain a listing of the top 10 appropriate practitioners locally. Each listing would contain basic contact information, as well as a “more” button, clicking on which would allow the user to see the full HealthGrades profile for that physician or hospital, including any disciplinary actions or malpractice cases, past or pending.
At issue, of course, is how Google and HealthGrades will determine which practitioners and facilities show up on the top 10 list for a particular search. Dr. Collier and Mr. Wiseman said that initially the order of rank will be based on Google's standard model, which lists the most trafficked sites highest. The rankings would not be based on the HealthGrades scores.
From a physician's perspective, it is difficult to say which mode of determining the listings would be preferable. On one hand, Web site traffic has little clinical relevance, and all but rules out doctors who do not have Web sites. On the other hand, rankings based on HealthGrades scores would only be as fair and reasonable as the scores themselves.
One thing is certain: With major IT players like Microsoft and Google entering the arena, PHRs and electronically empowered patients are going to play a significant role in reshaping health care over the next decade.
Google Health has joined Microsoft's HealthVault in pursuit of PHRbusiness. ©2008 Microsoft Corporation/Google Health