A partnership between Google and a group of health facilities is controversial across the Atlantic

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The goal of this partnership is to migrate Ascension's IT infrastructure to Google's cloud, deploy the G Suite suite of software in network locations, and develop tools for health and allied health professionals to improve quality. care and patient safety through artificial intelligence (AI).

Founded in 2012, the Catholic Association Ascension manages more than 2,600 health facilities in 21 US states, including 150 hospitals and more than 50 residences for the elderly.

Cited by the US technology giant in July as an example of the work done with health actors to provide them with its data hosting services, and its AI technologies, the agreement was pinned November 11 by the Wall Street Journal.

The US daily revealed that Google was already working "in secret" for a year with Ascension, around a project called Nightingale and described as "the most important effort of a giant in Silicon Valley to win in health through to the treatment of patients' medical data ".

It involves developing computer tools based on the processing of various data available to the association, such as biology results, medical diagnoses, computerized patient files, with the names of the patients concerned and their date of birth.

According to the Wall Street Journal, at least 150 Google employees have access to tens of millions of health data in this context, without the patients and doctors being warned.

Reacting to the publication of the article, Google Cloud president Tariq Shaukat said in a message posted on the firm's blog that the project was a "common practice in health care" and that it was not secret.

He stated that he complies with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), US law passed in 1996 including requirements for confidentiality and security of patient information.

In particular, it provides that the collection of patients' consent for the sharing of information available to hospitals is not mandatory when it comes to helping institutions "fulfill their health care functions".

Tariq Shaukat said Ascension data "can not be used for other purposes than to provide new services under the partnership" and that patient health information will not be linked to data. which Google also has on individuals.

Quoted in a health network press release, also released Monday, Ascension Vice President Eduardo Conrado said the partnership with the Alphabet Group subsidiary responds to the need to "transform to better meet the needs and the expectations of patients and professionals.

This work requires "the integration of new models of care delivered through digital platforms, applications and services that are part of the everyday experience of those we help," he said.

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