Credit HCA/GOOGLE
(Mike Osborne) -- Nashville based hospital operator HCA has struck a controversial deal with Google that gives Google access to patient records from 180 plus HCA hospitals nationwide.
HCA and Google are stressing that identifying patient information will not be included in an estimated 32 million shared hospital treatment records.
The two companies say data analysis of the patient encounters will help doctors and nurses make better informed decisions about patient care.
CNBC quotes New York University ethicist Arthur Kaplan saying the deal highlights the need for the U.S. to “update our privacy protection and our informed consent requirements.”