Google drops a healthcare dud

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 28 (UPI) -- U.S. Internet giant Google said it was dropping Google Health PHR, a medical record service, which failed to find a widespread audience.

"We haven't found a way to translate … limited usage into widespread adoption in the daily health routines of millions of people," Google said in an online posting, ComputerWorld reported Tuesday.

The service, which was offered as a way to store medical records in one place -- PHR stands for personal health records -- found an audience among a limited number of technocrats and health fitness types.

But a recent survey showed 50.6 percent of consumers were unaware such a service even existed.

And, IDC Health Insights analyst Lynne Dunbrack said, for many the service had limited utility.

"It's not something that a person wakes up in the morning and says, 'Hey, I need one of these things,'" Dunbrack said.

Google said it would close down the service at the end of the year.