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Google Health Joins Microsoft HealthVault

With the release of Google Health will come, I expect, another round of privacy paranoia. I wrote about this before, when Microsoft's HealthVault appeared. Both services are voluntary but it doesn't take much insight to recognize that before long, you won't have a choice. Your medical records will be consolidated and networked and if you want health care, you will be in the databases — just as you are if you drive a car, use a credit card, or have a job.

It is perhaps unnerving that the institutions that are rushing forward to fill the need are companies committed to cataloging and sharing information. But I think that's a good thing: These companies have a lot to lose if any of the information escapes.

Regardless of who does it, there is an urgent need. Health care makes poor use of information technology now, way behind other industries. There are great benefits in economy, efficiency, quality of medical service — and privacy. Consolidated records are safer. Most of us now have dozens of records, all different, under poor control, in each doctor's office, hospital, diagnostic lab, or pharmacy. Few of us even know where all our records are. I think this is a boon and it's been a long time coming. 

Diet Tip

My diet tip: All things in moderation.

I find eating healthy becomes a burden when I ban certain foods. So instead, I allow myself to eat anything I want -- just not often. Nice thing about this is that when I do eat it, I enjoy it more -- no guilt, and it's special, so I pay attention to it and make it a reward. Then I find healthy things I like, like fruit, and add them to my diet.

Another recent idea: I use Hassle Me. I have its "hasselbot" set to send me a reminder every three days: "Eat healthy today." Then I try to be extra mindful that day of what I eat.

Time to End Employer-Based Health Insurance?

In the health care debate, the logic of having employers pay for health care is not frequently discussed. I think people feel it's sticking it to those who can afford it and questioning it is not politically acceptable.

Small business owner Don Mayer says it's "Time to End Employer-Based Health Insurance."

I mostly agree.

It's not about the interests of business -- it's about the interest of all of us. Whenever an expense is wrongly channeled, it introduces inequities and inefficiencies.

Even more rarely discussed is the -economic- sense of guaranteed, universal, baseline medical care for all citizens. We should have the basics covered universally.

It makes no economic sense to accept gross inefficiencies.

It makes no sense to have people walk around sick, go to emergency rooms for health care, skip preventive medicine because of the cost, or be sub-par, mentally and physically, because they are not getting basic treatment. When a clinic visit costs three days' wages, people go to work sick and skip their medications.

It also makes no sense to saddle our businesses with an extra cost and place them at a disadvantage in a global market. It is, as you say, a tax which adds a percentage to labor costs for all their US-based employees. Actually, it is worse than a tax since it goes not to the public, but to insurance companies who decide what medical care we are permitted!

Even if we disregard the humane considerations, the current system makes no sense.

I disagree a little bit, in that I am all for employer-supplied health benefits -- at the company's discretion and subject to competitive incentives. With a basic care system covered by all -- still a tax, but honest and visible -- companies can decide whether to offer add coverage and how much to offer.

Take One: Strategies for Minor Pain Relief

"Take two aspirin and call me in the morning."

Why two?

Though the standard adult dose of most pain relievers is two tablets, try just one, especially for a minor ache. It may be all you need and a lower does reduces the possibility of side effects.

Second bit of advice on pain relievers: Take it sooner rather than later. An ache is much harder to control once it's raging. You can certainly overdo it — you don't want to go running to the medicine cabinet for every little imagined twinge — but if you know a genuine ache is coming on, a small dose early may do the trick.

The important thing is to know your body and figure out what works for you. With experimentation, you can avoid the pills and use reduced dosages.

More hints: Lifehacker on how to stop headaches before they start