Google launched online health records. I was instantly reminded of the movie Gattaca. Gattaca took a pessimistic tone towards the nature vs nurture argument, assuming that everyone has an upper-limit to his potential for success predefined by his genes. In the movie corporations used this information to select the “most qualified candidates.” There is a passing reference to how this prejudicial practice is illegal, but, of course, corporations disregard for these laws and use rationalizations to mask their genetic biases.

We can’t parse DNA with Gattaca-esque accuracy yet, but we can see the expression of DNA in phenotypes and can make biased judgments based on those phenotypes. Some phenotypes (race, gender, etc) are obvious based on a quick visual scan, but many phenotypes require access to medical health records to know for certain.

With Google’s release of online health records today, I wonder if we are opening an opportunity for entities (individuals, corporations, governments, etc…) to access people’s health records with unprecedented ease. Could I download my neighbor’s health records as easily as I can download a copy of Gattaca? Fred mentioned he’s trying to make his health records public. I’m not quite there yet. Yet, at the same time, I feel a sense of inevitability about this whole process. Five years from now, I can’t imagine toting a file of paper medical records from one doctor to another.