Google Launches Beta Health Service

In response to privacy concerns, Google said it has built a secure computer platform separate from its search system to host medical records as part of an emphasis on keeping the health information protected.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based Web search giant tested the service by storing medical records for a few thousand patient volunteers at the not-for-profit Cleveland Clinic.

"It's a really exciting day for us. We're really happy to be able to offer this service to all our users," Marissa Mayer, the Google executive overseeing the health project, said in the Webcast.

Google Health Beta allows users to sign up for the program by agreeing to grant "all or nothing" access to Health partner companies, including Walgreens, Quest Diagnostics and The Cleveland Clinic, among others.

Users of the service control how much of their information is shared. A user may opt in for a pre-existing relationship with hospital so that in case of emergency, his or her personal medical history may be readily available to emergency room doctors.