I finally got access to one of the Google datacenters hosting Google Health and it’s clear, as the press release confirms, that Google Health is just one of those pre-populated areas of Google Co-op. In other words, people tagging content, and then submitting their tags to Google for approval.

For example, I looked up ADHD information and then clicked on “From medical authorities,” since I thought it would be interesting to see what Google, not a health company, would understand about who is or isn’t a “medical authority.” What I found was interesting. FamilyDoctor.org, for instance, is recognized as a medical authority in Google, because the National Library of Medicine has said so. Why or how they said so is unclear from the information that is available (Co-op apparently doesn’t launch until next week, so profiles of Co-op users are unavailable now).

Not surprisingly, the offering is a little underwhelming. Most of the content listed comes from the usual .gov resources, with a few .edu sites (some advertising their own clinics, natch!) and the occasional .org site here and there. I found virtually no .com sites in their results for “Medical authorities” — apparently a commercial company couldn’t possibly add anything to the understanding of an illness or disease.

The subcategories listed (the folders, if you will) are also keyword driven. So if it says “tests,” it only looks for tests, not synonyms of tests (e.g., quizzes).