Finally got around to checking out year-old Google Health, prompted by release of its new feature: you can now share your medical information with anyone you like. That includes family members, caregivers, doctors and other medical folks. Google stresses that the site is secure and private; they say the info you decide to share can be edited only by you and will be available only to those you designate.

Google Health also has a splendid feature that permits your medical records to be updated automatically by health care providers. Unfortunately, it's quite limited at present. Only a dozen or so providers link to the site and provide auto-updates for the moment. Among them: Quest Diagnostics, MinuteClinic, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, and Cleveland Clinic.

Here are the links you'll need to explore Google Health:

About Google Health

Take the tour

Google blog announcement of the new Google Health features

Health-care blogging doc John D. Halamka, who calls Google Health "a disruptive technology"