• Information Week, Thursday, October 18, 2007 10:45 AM

Google on Wednesday unveiled plans for its long-awaited health initiative, which is now set to appear in early 2008, said Marissa Mayer, the company's head of search. Mayer said Google hopes to enhance the way medical records are stored and organized; she pointed out that its search engine is already the starting point for the majority of health-related searches on the Web.

Google's biggest competitor in online healthcare will be Microsoft, of course. Earlier this year, the software giant acquired Medstory, a health-related search startup. It unveiled plans to create a personalized, customized health care page for every person, containing medical records, insurance information and relevant third-party information (and advertising) culled from keywords on the page.

Google's tool also incorporates personal medical records with health care-related searches. Other elements include diet and exercise information and a localized "find a doctor" application. She said the business model is still being worked out; some parts of the system will be free, while others may require a subscription.

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