In what could be seen as yet another "me too" partnership, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) has joined larger-than-large HMO Kaiser Permanente to work on a joint medical records exchange that would enable consumers "to have more control over their health records." Not sure if access equals control, but it's not my partnership so it is what it is.

Now, mind you, Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG)'s Google Health was just born to a large degree, and already Microsoft is on the same bandwagon. Both systems appear to allow ordinary consumers to upload their digital medical information from a central database comprised of multiple medical providers. Data describing prescriptions, tests, immunizations and other conditions would be the focus of the Microsoft-Kaiser Permanente pilot program here.

Kaiser's own 156,000 employees will actually pilot the program to see if it is worthy to roll out to Kaiser's consumer rolls of 8.7 million. Are consumers ready to give up all their sensitive medical information just to ensure the access to that information will be easy from that home or work laptop computer?

Ease seems to trump privacy in many cases, so why not? The part about using this information to allow medical consumers to make "more informed choices about their health care" seems odd, though. Doctors and pharmacists are in control (and always have been), and I doubt access to a blitzkrieg of medical information is instantly going to make the majority of consumers more intelligent about their own health care.