HealthVault will also allow users to upload data from a small number of HealthVault-compatible devices, and allow users to send, receive and store their own medical records and information from doctors and healthcare providers. The information that could be stored in the vault includes data from fitness-related and health activities, according to Microsoft. Examples include aerobic sessions, measurements such as blood glucose and blood pressure, discharge summaries from hospitalizations, lab results, medications, and health history.
The question, however, is what legal liability Microsoft will end up accepting as the operator of the HealthVault site. Furthermore, it is unclear what role the site will play inside the chain of agencies covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which was enacted in 1996 and governs the transmission of confidential healthcare information.
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