Today Microsoft unveiled its new web application HealthVault, a medical records manager that will let users and their health care providers store and track their medical information online.
Privacy is a major concern when you start talking about people Health records. As for privacy? The NY Times reports:
"The personal information, Microsoft said, will be stored in a secure, encrypted database. Its privacy controls, the company said, are set entirely by the individual, including what information goes in and who gets to see it. The HealthVault searches are conducted anonymously, Microsoft said, and will not be linked to any personal information in a HealthVault personal health record."
Microsoft's secured a few major partners in the health industry, with more to come, who will be able to transfer your blood pressure or cholesterol level right into HealthVault during your checkup.
With Microsoft being the first out of the big three that are trying to break into this market (Google and Cisco are also going to be giving it a shot), Microsoft has given itself a huge jumpstart over it's would be competitors.
Their biggest obstacles after the technical parts get worked out are going to be Privacy and proving to the public that this is worth the time and risk.
