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Understanding Google My Business & Local Search

Google Maps Record Failures – Can they handle my personal medical records?

I have recently noted examples (here & here) of merged business records in Google Maps. It appears that this phenomena and the rogue hospital phone number issues of Duke University and other medical centers are related.

Roughly two weeks ago I edited a record in Google Maps for a new web design customer and as has been my recent experience with the LBC, was posted to Maps immediately and correctly with no verification required. My client, also my best college friend, was impressed. However, he called me early this week and noted problems with his Google Maps record:

mergedrecord500.jpg

He had suddenly acquired additional phone numbers and the medical profile of a Doctor in Carbondale, IL with whom he has no relation. The phone numbers were from regional Detroit sites that had his hospital name, St. John Providence Hospital, but no reference to him.

The signals that I had assumed might be causing the problems: website address, web links, web references on his site seem to have had no impact. Like the Duke Center problem, there are multiple offices, phone numbers and doctors at this street address which might explain the confusion on the phone numbers. But there is no descernable relationship on the doctor with whom he was confused.

Google has his complete business record in the LBC so why should they be adding data from other sources anyways? It is one of those situations where one’s confidence in their ability to handle personal medical records might be called into question.