Now, Google is sending a friendly reminder out to users. Here’s the email:

This is an important Google Health service announcement. You are receiving this email because you have an active Google Health account.

The Google Health Team

Were you a Google Health user? What is your plan going forward?

HealthVault lets users store and transfer info between various health-related applications, devices, and services.

Google announced last month that it would discontinuing Google Health (as well as PowerMeter) as of January 1. “Both were based on the idea that with more and better information, people can make smarter choices, whether in regard to managing personal health and wellness, or saving money and conserving energy at home. While they didn’t scale as we had hoped, we believe they did highlight the importance of access to information in areas where it’s traditionally been difficult,” Google said at the time.

As Microsoft and Google compete in many areas of tech, Microsoft is clearly using the discontinuation of a Google service to show it has a leg up in this area.

“Google has been an important ally in providing customers with access to their data and tools to better manage care online,” said Nate McLemore, general manager, Microsoft Health Solutions Group. “Microsoft continues to advance the HealthVault platform to increase its value to consumers — by adding important features, such as support for mobile devices, and by collaborating with hundreds of health organizations, including the American Cancer Society,American Heart Association and CVS Pharmacy — to deliver robust health and wellness applications that connect to HealthVault.”

There are about 300 apps connected to the HealthVault platform to help users manage various conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, pregnancy, etc. According to MIcrosoft, it’s also connected with over 70 devices, including blood pressure monitors, blood glucose monitors, weight scales, pedometers, and peak flow meters.

After January 1, Google Health users will no longer be able to view, enter or edit any of their data stored in Google Health, though they will be able to download the data stored in various formats through January 1, 2013.

“Both were based on the idea that with more and better information, people can make smarter choices, whether in regard to managing personal health and wellness, or saving money and conserving energy at home. While they didn’t scale as we had hoped, we believe they did highlight the importance of access to information in areas where it’s traditionally been difficult,” the company says.

Google Health was designed to “organize, track, monitor, and act on” health info. It was introduced in 2006. I’m not sure how many people were using it, but it was nice of Google to let people add the details about their personal health, and then shut down the service so they can no longer use it.

Users will still be able to download their data through January 1, 2013, a year after the service is retired. Google says in the FAQ that it will delete user data after January 2, 2013. How long after isn’t specified, but they give you plenty of info about how to get your data off of Google Health.

Google announced PowerMeter in early 2009. It was launched as a Google.org (Google’s philanthropic arm) project aimed at “raising awareness about the importance of giving people access to data surrounding their energy usage.”

“Since our launch, there’s been more attention given to this notion of people easily accessing their energy data,” says Google. “The installation of smart meters and other home energy devices is picking up steam, and states like California and Texas are moving forward to finalize policies and programs in this area.”

“We’re pleased that PowerMeter has helped demonstrate the importance of this access and created something of a model,” the company adds. “However, our efforts have not scaled as quickly as we would like, so we are retiring the service.”

Again, Google says it is making it easy to download your data. You can do so by logging into your account and going to “Account Settings,” where you can export to a CSV file.

More details about the end of these services here.

Within the redesign is a new dashboard and what Google says are better ways to focus on wellness goals. "So our new re-design better organizes your medical information, while creating a more welcoming place to set goals for yourself and check in daily on your progress," explains Senior Product Manager Aaron Brown. "For example, you might want to set a goal around walking more each day or to lower your cholesterol over time. With our new design, you can easily monitor your path to success with a visual graph that shows your progress towards your personalized goal. You can even create custom trackers for other things that you want to monitor like daily sleep, exercise, pregnancy or even how many cups of coffee you drink a day."

Google has also integrated with new partners like Fitbit and CardioTrainer so users can collect data for tracking progress. "In the two weeks since CardioTrainer’s integration went live, CardioTrainer developer WorkSmart Labs reports that users have already uploaded more than 150,000 workouts to Google Health, where they can more easily view, track and set goals around their workouts and monitor them along with other health and wellness information," says Brown. 

The new design also enables users to take notes and keep journals on the progress of their health conditions or medications. 

In addition to all of this there are no more personalized content links, so users should be able to find more helpful information related to specific conditions, medications or lab results that relate to them. 

Meanwhile, Google is doing more to expand its reach into healthcare facilities. Google has formed partnerships most recently, with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and Sharp HealthCare.

That doesn’t include the white spaces work Google is doing. Yesterday, the company announced a partnership with the Hocking Valley Community Hospital in Logan, Ohio on the white spaces broadband deployment.

User Experience Researcher Hendrik Mueller has more about the new Google Health design here.

No one’s kidding around here.  According to an official press release, "[T]he Withings WiFi Body Scale can provide updates to a user’s Google Health profile wirelessly in real-time using its built-in WiFi connection. . . .  [T]he scale will automatically update the user’s weight and fat mass to their Google Health profile."

As for the Twitter integration (which isn’t enabled by default), that’s actually been in effect since November.  It just seemed worth mentioning.

Now, for the ramifications.  The Withings scale costs a somewhat pricey $159, so this development isn’t likely to have any big effect on everyday life.  Still, since it’s not unaffordable, doctors who like the idea of Google Health may start recommending the scale to patients, giving it real traction.

From there, the price of the tech would almost certainly go down, and more models would come out, leading to a greater market share.

Or not.  Internet-connected ovens, washers, and dryers haven’t been overly successful, and there’s no question that the Withings WiFi Body Scale would take a lot more getting used to.

Related Articles:

> Google Wants To Save Your Life (Or Help End It)

> Google, Microsoft Endorse Declaration Of Health Rights Data

> Google Reaccused Of Lobbying Against Privacy Provisions

A post on the Official Google Blog tells readers, "An advance directive allows you to determine your end-of-life wishes so that your family and doctor can honor them if you get sick and are unable to communicate."  It has the ability to save all sorts of people all sorts of pain, and whatever your age or condition, is something you should consider completing.

Google just wants to make sure its software is part of the equation, and as it turns out, Google Health can now process scanned paper documents.

So the post continues, "Google Health is now working with a leading advance directive provider, Caring Connections, that provides a free, downloadable form customized for all 50 states.  To complete your form, download it, print it out, complete it, scan it, and upload it to Google Health.  Once you’ve uploaded the signed form, Google Health makes it easy to share it with your caregiver."

Admittedly, this seems morbid and a bit opportunistic.  But the issue’s an important one, and this may prove an effective tack for Google to take.

The Declaration of Health Data Rights came about in response to technological innovations and recently introduced healthcare ideas.  You can see its main principles listed below.

A list of supporters is also impressive to behold.  At this point, the Declaration of Health Data Rights has earned 311 endorsements from individuals including Clay Shirky, Deven McGraw of the Center for Democracy & Technology, and David Bergman of the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Anyway, on the Google Public Policy Blog, Roni Zeiger, MD, and Missy Krasner wrote, "We hope the Declaration will help raise public awareness about the rights already protected under HIPAA and also help drive the public debate towards increasing patient access and control over their own health data.  Strong health data rights will help patients collaborate with their doctors in order to get better care and avoid medical errors."

And on Microsoft’s HealthBlog, Bill Crounse, MD, mostly echoed the official Declaration of Health Rights statement, but he also encouraged readers to "join the revolution."

A letter addressed to Eric Schmidt was released today.  In it, Jamie Court, Consumer Watchdog’s president, and John M. Simpson, a consumer advocate, wrote, "The public record shows that you were lobbying on H.R. 1."  Which is true enough.

 

The pair then continued, "Based on the records and the issues being debated at the time, the only reasonable conclusion is that Google was lobbying to prevent the privacy provisions applicable to HIPPA providers applying to Google Health – in plain English, that you were lobbying against strong privacy provisions and in favor of allowing the sale of information from medical records."

This part is more debatable, since the public records don’t state Google’s intention.  But Consumer Watchdog appears to have the search giant backed into a corner.  For the sake of not having consumers run screaming from Google Health, Google will likely have to get very specific about what stances it promoted.

Stay tuned.  And if you feel like doing a little more reading about Google Health, something interesting about openness and accuracy was posted on the Official Google Blog just yesterday.

 David Cameron

The speech, which was titled "The Age of Austerity," focused mainly on financial issues.  Cameron addressed one problem by pointing out, "Our government spends nearly 400 million a year on advertising to reach sixty million people while Wikipedia, one of the largest websites in the world, spends about one per cent of that to reach 280 million people."

As for the way in which Google and Microsoft entered the conversation, it boiled down to the idea of putting healthcare records online.  "[A] web-based version of the government’s bureaucratic scheme services like Google Health or Microsoft Health Vault cost virtually nothing to run," said Cameron.

Plus, according to the politician, people might take better care of themselves if their files are just a click away, and thus end up saving the National Health Service a fair amount of money.

These are some interesting ideas, especially considering that the Conservative Party is favored to win the next election.  And let’s not forget that Google’s Eric Schmidt became an advisor to the Conservative Party in February, so David Cameron may well announce more tech-centric ideas in time.

This means if you keep your profile up to date with any medication and medical history, you can share it with your loved ones so they can answer questions for doctors or other medical professionals in times of emergency.

For example, "Just a few years ago, my father suffered a minor heart attack and was sent to the ER," explains Product Management Director Sameer Samat on the Google Blog. "I arrived on the scene in a panic, and was asked what medications he was taking. To my surprise, I had no clue. If my father had a Google Health account, and had shared his profile with me, I would have been up-to-date on his current medications."

When you share your profile, it sends the email addresses you specify a link to your profile. Only users with said email addresses will be able to view the profile. In other words, if they forward it to someone else, it won’t work. If you are concerned about the safety of your info, here are some things to keep in mind:

- The link to view your profile expires after 30 days

- Viewers can only see (not edit) your profile

- You can review a user activity report to see who has viewed your profile

Google has also added a printing option for your Google Health Profile. A hard copy might be of use for Doctors or relatives without computers, printers or Internet access. There is a convenient wallet format that prints the necessary information at the size of a little wallet-sized card.

Another new feature launched for Google Health is a graphing option, which can help users track trends in their health based on regular tests.

As usual Google is calling for feedback on the service. Samat says there is a lot more work to do. If you have suggestions for improvements or features, you might as well let Google know. If it’s a good enough idea, it could even play a role in saving lives in the future.