And in July, the University of Chicago Medical Center and Google looked like they would head to court in response to a class action lawsuit filed by Edelson P.C. on behalf of plaintiff Matt Dinerstein that accuses the hospitals of sharing patient health records with the internet giant, which allegedly used information such as date stamps and free-text notes, to create its own EHR management system.

The University of Chicago Medical Center denied these allegations, however, telling HCB News that “the claims in this lawsuit are without merit,” and the all privacy laws and regulations had been followed.

Statements by Google and Ascension after the Nightingale news broke likewise claimed that no HIPAA nor other federal health regulations were broken and that data had been protected, with Google Cloud stating on its blog that the goal of the effort was “ultimately improving outcomes, reducing costs, and saving lives.”

Ascension added in its own statement that, “all work related to Ascension’s engagement with Google is HIPAA compliant and underpinned by a robust data security and protection effort, and adherence to Ascension’s strict requirements for data handling.”

“As the healthcare environment continues to rapidly evolve, we must transform to better meet the needs and expectations of those we serve, as well as our own caregivers and healthcare providers. Doing that will require the programmatic integration of new care models delivered through the digital platforms, applications and services that are part of the everyday experience of those we serve,” said Eduardo Conrado, executive vice president, strategy and innovations, of Ascension.

But some considered the explanations inadequate. "Blatant disregard for privacy, public well-being, and basic norms is now core to Google's business model," tweeted Connecticut Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal, calling the move “beyond shameful."

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