Google Is Gathering Health Data on Millions of Americans

Google Is Gathering Health
Data on Millions of Americans.
Google is working in
conjunction with Ascension to
collect the health data. The secret
project is called "Project Nightingale.".
Ascension is the second-largest
health system in the country.
Company employees have questioned
the ethics of Project Nightingale.
The data culled as a result of the
project includes patient's names, date
of birth, lab results, hospitalization
records and diagnoses from doctors.
While more than 150 Google
employees have had access to the
personal health data, doctors and patients
have not been informed of the project.
Project Nightingale is likely
legal due to a federal law, the
Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act of 1996.
The law allows the sharing of patient
data without patient permission if the
data is used “only to help the covered
entity carry out its health care functions.”.
A spokeswoman for Google
says the project is compliant with
federal law and protects patient data