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The password-protected service stores a user's basic medical history and gathers relevant information connected to their health conditions.

One feature includes a link to help users find doctors by location or specialisation. The "virtual pillbox" even notifies patients when they need to take medications and warns of potential drug interactions.

The site also allows patients to schedule appointments,

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refill prescriptions, receive diagnostic results online, and instantly add their doctors' email addresses to a list of contacts.

"If anyone can demystify what health is, and make it fun... Google can," said Dr Michael Roizen, the chief wellness officer for the Cleveland Clinic, a major private US medical group, during a news conference at Google headquarters.

The service raises obvious privacy concerns, but Google insists patients will control access to their records. Marissa Mayer, the company's vice president for search services and user experience, said the company would store personal health information on servers that are separate from the company's other endeavors and had created an additional layer of security. "We certainly have put in place the foremost privacy policy that we could construct," Mayer said.

The electronic health records field remains in its early stages. Microsoft has introduced a similar service called HealthVault, which gives users control over who sees their information. Among start-ups active in the field is Revolution Health, a company backed by former AOL Chairman Steve Case.