Web information giant Google and computer giant IBM are teaming up with Continua Health Alliance to launch new software that streams data in real time from remote personal medical devices directly into personal health records (PHR) held by Google and others.

According to an announcement by IBM on Monday, the three-way partnership is launching a package that will enable the health status data gathered by personal medical devices, such as those used to monitor blood pressure and to screen and routinely evaluate other health signs, to be transferred directly into the patient’s Google Health Accout or any other type of electronically held personal health record (PHR).

Once the data is in the patient’s PHR, he or she can share it with doctors and other health service professionals, in real time, making it easier for them to get feedback and receive treatment advice more quickly. IBM said this facility will also help to keep records accurate and current.

With this new software, IBM said a person can go to work and receive daily updates on the health status of their elderly parent who lives alone and has high blood pressure. A diabetic businesswoman going on a trip can continue training for a marathon by staying in touch with her coach back home with whom she discusses daily blood sugar levels and heart rate figures.

Sameer Samat, Director for Google Health, said:

“Our partnership with IBM will help both providers and users gain access to their device data in a highly simplified and automated fashion.”

Google Health, a free online personal health record service, was launched in May 2008. It allows consumers to store, manage and share their health information in a secure online account. Anyone can open an account at www.google.com/health.

Samat explained that IBM’s involvement brings software that helps device manufacturers and hospitals to upload data into an electronic PHR system, such as Google Health.

The IBM part of the package integrates Information Management, Business Intelligence and WebSphere Premises Server sensor event platform with Google Health.

The new package will support a wide range of medical and health issues, including chronic disease management, health and wellness, and elder care, both in the United States and other countries.

As it is based on Services-Oriented Architectures, the package will enable partners to bolt on other compatible services in a modular fashion, and since it operates on the principle of open standards (this is where Continua Alliance comes in), it encourages the use of healthcare products and solutions that talk and share information easily with each other.

As Dan Pelino, General Manager, IBM Healthcare & Life Sciences Industry explained:

“By harnessing the rapidly growing use of remote patient monitoring across every part of the healthcare services industry, our new IBM solution greatly increases the real-time value of PHRs for consumers everywhere.”

“Open standards-based systems and technologies — freely available to anyone interested in using them — are key to fueling the development of systems that can share and exchange vital healthcare information on a timely basis, whenever and wherever it’s needed.”

IBM developed the software using guidelines provided by Continua Health Alliance who promote the development of healthcare solutions that connect and share information easily with each other. Key parts of the software are also open source, from Eclipse and Open Health Tools, who are part of a software development community that is supporting advancement in health information systems.

Open source software lends itself to collaborative work since the underlying code is unconstrained by proprietary copyright restrictions and can be seen by anyone.

Dave Whitlinger, Continua Health Alliance President, said:

“With close to a quarter of the world’s population overweight, more than 600 million people with some form of chronic disease, and millions more reaching retirement age, the time for greater personal health management is now.”

“Continua member companies like IBM and Google are working on real solutions that will empower consumers and healthcare professionals to access and share information quickly and easily through connected products and solutions,” he added.

The technology behind the new PHR software was successfully demonstrated last October at the Partners Connected Health Symposium in Boston.

There has been a mixed reception to Google Health. Some people object to the idea that the personal health information will be monitored by Google to allow the organization to insert highly targeted advertisements alongside the patient’s and doctor’s view of the data, while others say it is a fair exchange for a free to use system, as long as the information is not abused.

Sources: IBM news release, MNT archives.

Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD