Ever since Google realized that 12% of individuals would consult Google prior to seeing a doctor, followed by a British Medical Journal editorial suggesting that one of the natural next steps for Google would be some kind of medical database for personal use, the rumors had been circulating that "Google Health" would be the next addition to Google stable. Last week the rumors were proven to be true.

Unveiled as just one part of Google Co-Op, the del.icio.us-like new tagging system that was one of the top items on the agenda at last week's annual Google Press Day, Google Health is the product of volunteer Web-aware activist MDs like Dr. Enoch Choi having been asked by Google to help with the compiling of a list of the URLs to improve the result sets of health-related searches on Google. These labels will appear at the top of Google search results for search queries regarding any health related term.

The whole Google Health initiative shows the invisible hand of Google's Adam Bosworth (pictured here onstage at last month's "Real-World AJAX" event.) Sharp eyes noticed recently that Bosworth - who when asked to introduce himself at "Real-World AJAX" just replied, succinctly: "I am Adam Bosworth of Google" - was allegedly listed on the attendee list for PC Forum with the title "Architect, Google Health." 

This is the selfsame Adam Bosworth of course who recently wowed the audience not only live at the "Real-World AJAX" seminar in San Jose but also asynchronously worldwide, via SYS-CON.TV.

Bosworth explained, in the course of an "AJAX Power Panel" which also looked at numerous "Web 2.0" issues, the generic Google approach to things:

"Our approach to technology at Google is very simple. We launch a new feature or application and then watch it very, very closely. If users like it then we add more of that type of feature or functionality, and if they don't like it then we add less of it."

From which one can readily infer that, even if it doesn't take MDs out of the loop completely, which obviously it won't, the traction for Google Health-type initiatives is almost certain to bring it to the top of Google's do-list in terms of fine-tuning, widening, and deepening.

Watch this space!