Why Fitbit Air users might want to link medical records to Google Health

The Fitbit Air is basically on the wrist, but that’s only part of the point. Link your health records to Google Health and the app has a better chance of understanding the health story behind the numbers it collects.

The feature is still limited. Google says medical records syncing currently only works with supported healthcare providers in the United States, so not everyone will see the option yet. But if it appears in your application, it’s worth knowing where to find it and what it actually does.

How to link your medical records

Open the Google Health app and tap your photo in the upper right corner. That should take you to the Manage Your Google Account section. There you will see a Medical records tab.

Tap and select Manage communication. From there you can search for your healthcare provider. If your provider appears, sign in with that provider and follow the instructions. Depending on the provider, you may be able to choose what types of data Google Health can access.

Google also offers another route through CLEAR identity verification. After your identity is verified, Google Health can search for similar records from previous health care providers and try to bring them into the app. That can be useful if your medical history spans more than one provider.

Android users also have an option with Health Connect. If so, Google Health can pull medical records available from Health Connect after permissions are turned on. You will need to allow personal health records within Health Connect and ensure that the original medical records application has permission to share data there.

Once the records are synced, they appear within the Health tab under Medical. Categories include allergies, medications, vaccines, lab results, vitals, procedures, conditions and visits.

Why this might be really helpful

The obvious use case is not a healthy person connecting to a routine test and asking Google Health what it means. For someone with a complex medical history who wants their wearable data interpreted with that background in mind.

Consider cancer treatment over the years, multiple surgeries, long-term use of small amounts of blood, a history of blood clots, circulation problems, swelling of the leg during high-intensity exercise or a body that reacts poorly to running and cutting movements. In that kind of situation, general fitness advice can be worse than useless. Wearables may detect low activity, poor recovery or strenuous exercise, but do not know the medical reason behind the pattern.

This is where linked records can help. Google Health can see daily symptoms from the Fitbit Air, and put them next to medical history, medication records and previous procedures. That gives the Trainer a better shot at suggesting low-impact options like walking, swimming, cycling, yoga, jogging or short walks instead of blindly pushing hard training.

The same concept applies to other long-term issues. AFib, bladder problems, glucose control, cholesterol, recovery from surgery, fatigue or medication changes all make wearable data difficult to interpret on its own. Medical records give the application a better place to start.

That still doesn’t make Google Health a doctor. But it can make it less dumb than a typical fitness app. And that’s probably the best argument for linking the records in the first place.

What you should check before connecting anything

Medical records are not the same as step counting, so it’s worth checking the settings before connecting anything. Google says users can manage, export, remove access to or delete medical records data at any time.

There is also a difference between syncing records for viewing and allowing the Trainer to use them for personalized responses. If you open Google Health Coach and give permission, Coach can use your health data to answer questions in a more tailored way. If you don’t want that, check the permissions carefully.

After setup, go to the Health tab and check what is actually synced. Some records may appear differently in your patient portal and some data may not display as expected.

Linking medical records will not be for everyone. But if you’re already using the Fitbit Air or plan to try it out, the feature is worth a look. The band collects signals every day. Your records add the missing background. Google Health only gets interesting when it has both.

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