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.
The specifics have not yet been worked out, but 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 is how Google and HealthGrades will determine which practitioners or facilities show up on the top 10 list for a particular search. Dr. Collier and Mr. Wiseman said that initially, the order of rank would be based on Google's standard model, which lists the most trafficked sites highest. The rankings would not be based on the HealthGrade scores.
One thing is certain: With major IT players like Google and Microsoft entering the arena, PHRs and electronically empowered patients are going to play a signicant role in reshaping health care over the next decade.
Google Health and HealthVault aim to help patients make informed decisions. © 2008 Microsoft Corporation/Google Health