Google Pilot Testing Health Care Records Tool

Google is pilot testing the integration of its Google Care Studio search tool into the health records of two health systems, one in Alabama and the other in Wisconsin.

According to a recent JAMA Network Open study, poor access to the information clinicians need is leading many doctors to burn out.

Google says its Care Studio is designed to streamline a clinician’s workflow and give them more time to devote to caring for patients.

Earlier this year, Good Health and Meditech, a medical software provider, announced a collaboration in which Google Health search and summarization capabilities will be embedded directly within the clinical workflow of the Expanse Electronic Health Record.

The Expanse solution will leverage Google Health’s intelligent summarization, search and second-level insights capabilities to extract information from different parts of the patient record such as current and legacy data and scanned as well as handwritten documents to produce a curated summary of a patient’s health conditions.

Now, DCH Health System in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Mile Bluff Medical Center, in Mauston, Wisconsin, both longtime users of Meditech software, have signed on as early adopters of the new, integrated system.

According to Google, its tools give clinicians a single, centralized view that automatically brings forward a patient’s important information — including hospital visits, outpatient events, laboratory tests, medications, and treatment and progress notes. 

“And the intuitive interface offers unique ways to visualize health data and trends in tables, graphs and other helpful formats,” the search giant says on its health care website.

“This feature takes our EHR to new heights in our ability to provide holistic, patient-centered care. It is positioning our doctors, nurses, and care providers to aggregate information on patients’ past and present conditions faster, to improve the quality of care,” said Billy Helmandollar, chief information officer of DCH Health System, in a written statement.

“We must innovate and think outside the box in order to have advancements in health care technology and reduce the burden on clinicians. I am very encouraged by Meditech’s commitment to work with innovative partners and make the system even better than it is today,” Helmandollar said.

Pat Stubbs, IT director at the Mile Bluff Medical Center, said the center is looking forward to taking advantage of the new capabilities afforded it by the Google-Meditech partnership.

“We … expect they will lead to better health outcomes, in addition to improved overall satisfaction for patients and clinicians,” Stubbs said.

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