Google is well positioned to enter the personal health record market

Good article about Google and personal health records and I agree, they are positioned well to make a huge entry in to this market, especially since the commitment was made to exclude advertising...Medgadget has done a good job in describing IBM's effort with Second Life to show their answer to personal health records as well...I still have some issues at times with second life as there's somewhat of a line between what is real and what is virtual, but we will know more as time evolves here with the acceptance and how it interfaces with the electronic records of today and the future....BD

The market for personal health records is a product of consumers becoming more powerful within healthcare: easy access to healthcare information on the Internet means that patients can enter the physician's surgery more knowledgeable than ever before. Google's entrance into the market is particularly significant as it is one of the most powerful and well known consumer brands in existence today. While Google will not be able to depend solely upon its brand name to ensure the success of its personal health record (PHR) product, its history of successful past ventures stands the company in good stead. Furthermore, Google's significant consumer reach, both through its search engine and email, bodes well for the success of this new venture.
There are, however, other companies making their first foray into the PHR market. The most significant of these is Revolution Health, a company founded by Steve Case, the former CEO of AOL. Revolution Health demonstrates a breadth of offering and consumer appeal not unlike that of Google; however, as a start-up, it does not have the ready customer base or widely recognized brand of Google. In addition, Google is in a strong position for success in comparison with other companies, as it targets consumers in an advertisement-free environment.
Among the other companies developing PHRs are IBM, through Second Life, and Microsoft, through Health Vault. Overall, these companies are likely to achieve success by simply being involved in PHRs, and will benefit from any success that Google has within the PHR market as the trend seeps through the industry. Of the traditional IT vendors, IBM and Microsoft are demonstrating forward thinking by entering into this space and positioning themselves well for the future.
electronic healthcare record (EHR).
In addition, there is an opportunity for traditional vendors to offer their own PHRs within the market as an alternative to Google. While Google has been a great success, some consumers are suspicious of the company and its use of data. As a result, there will be opportunities within the market for multiple PHRs to exist alongside each other. Ultimately, however, because of its brand strength, consumer reach, and record of past successes, it is Google that is likely to have the greatest impact upon the industry, and bring PHRs into the living room of the population.