Google is reportedly collecting detailed health information from millions of people across 21 states*.
The tech titan began the initiative, code-named “Project Nightingale,” in secret last year with St. Louis-based healthcare system Ascension, according to The Wall Street Journal.
A Catholic chain of 2,600 hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other facilities, Ascension assisted in the unauthorized sharing of data—including patient names, dates of birth, lab results, diagnoses, and hospitalization records.
At least 150 Google employees already have access to much of the information, a personal “familiar with the matter and the documents” told the Journal.
Neither patients nor doctors have been notified.
In a joint statement issued after the WSJ report, the companies claimed their work is HIPAA compliant and “underpinned by a robust data security and protection effort.”
“As the healthcare environment continues to rapidly evolve, we must transform to better meet the needs and expectations of those we serve as well as our own caregivers and healthcare providers,” Eduardo Conrado, executive vice president at Ascension, said.
“Doing that will require the programmatic integration of new care models,” he continued, “delivered through the digital platforms, applications, and services that are part of the everyday experience of those we serve.”
As part of the Ascension/Google collaboration, the healthcare system will transition its networks and data to Google’s Cloud Platform and G Suite.
“By working in partnership with leading healthcare systems like Ascension, we hope to transform the delivery of healthcare through the power of the cloud, data analytics, machine learning, and modern productivity tools,” according to Google Cloud President Tariq Shaukat. “Ultimately improving outcomes, reducing costs, and saving lives.”
Staffers across Google parent company Alphabet, as well as some employees of Google Brain, already have access to patient information, the Journal said, citing internal documents.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Last year, the firm opted not to disclose to users a flaw that exposed hundreds of thousands of Google Plus subscribers’ birth dates, contact information, and other personal data, in part due to fear of regulatory scrutiny.
* It’s never made clear which 21 states are involved
More on Geek.com:
- Apple Invites Veterans to Access Health Records on iPhone
- Study: Teen Tech Time Not to Blame for Poor Mental Health
- Google Better Understands Conversational Search Queries
from Geek.com https://ift.tt/2Czl7CT
via IFTTT
0 comments:
Post a Comment