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Google Health vs. Microsoft e-Health: Medical search war for big profits
Detailed health knowledge is no longer the sole possession of the medical elite. Now, once elusive information is readily available to the average person. The wealth of medical and health related resources on the Web are sparking interest amongst a growing number of people who want to be involved in their own health care.With this heightening level of interest Google and Microsoft are both eagerly vying to get a share of the online healthcare sector. The battle seems to be heating up between these two giants as they propose different approaches for an online medical system, each one hoping theirs is the more marketable option.
Google vs. Microsoft - patient vs. professional?
Google
are angling the consumer line; proposing that patients should have full power over how their own personal health and wellness data is used and managed. The medical professionals have been scrapped and the consumer is king in Google’s online healthcare vision.
Microsoft is looking more towards what they have described as ‘knowledge-driven health’. This would be a more interactive system that connects and unifies the medical professional with the patient. They are seeking to incorporate connected software systems, information driven software, and improved interaction between healthcare workers and patients to ensure a comprehensive e-Health system.
Will “Google GP” and e-Health change the NHS for the good or bad?
The UK-based analyst firm Wireless Healthcare believes that these plans are about to have a "significant impact" on the healthcare sector. This impact has already been felt by doctors who are in contact with more and more patients who have been researching their symptoms on Google.This often has detrimental effects on the healthcare service being provided because patients are misdiagnosing themselves and demanding unsuitable treatments. If Google and Microsoft succeed in their aims, internet-informed patients would end up gaining access to their genetic profile and managing their own health using an online patient record, completely changing the current healthcare model.
Will Internet Advertising become a medical diagnosis online?
Another issue that has been raised is that internet search firms drive their revenues from advertising; however there is a real problem in using the standard funding model for an online healthcare system. Peter Kruger, a Wireless Healthcare analyst said: "Advertising and healthcare do not mix well and this issue is already proving to be controversial. I am sure that regulators would be unhappy if banner advertisements started to appear on a patient's online medical record or diagnosis."
Better informed patients have a greater chance of living healthy lifestyles and decreasing their need of medical intervention. The rising trend of health-savvy patients will often result in more effective medical care and treatment. Yet it will also bring with it the detrimental effects of more frequent misdiagnoses and more demanding patients.
The unfortunate aspect of the healthcare information on the web is that it is from a mixture of sources, sometimes the information is reliable and useful, other times it is more of a hindrance than a help. Regardless of who wins this new phase of the Google vs. Microsoft popularity contest, when online healthcare systems that give consistently useful and patient specific advice have been established, their presence will be welcomed by many medical professionals and patients alike.
Google News posted on 24 July 2007
