Once again, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) (Nasdaq: MSFT) seek the same trophy: to establish leadership in the growing online health info industry by providing consumers with the power to manage their own health care. It’s a mix of idealism and pragmatism that each hopes will result in better health care—and in a business model that pays off with consumers and advertisers. The NYT suggests that if the two companies are successful with the their health info initiatives, it could “accelerate a shift in power to consumers in health care, just as Internet technology has done in other industries.” Consumers would be able to move beyond looking up symptoms and drug interactions online into actually managing control over their own health information. Their plans:

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Google: Based on a prototype some health professionals and others have seen, the NYT says Google Health, delayed possibly into next year, has a clear consumer focus. The mission statement: “At Google, we feel patients should be in charge of their health information, and they should be able to grant their health care providers, family members, or whomever they choose, access to this information. Google Health was developed to meet this need.” It involves health profiles, health guides, reminders for refills or appointments, and medical directories. Google health team exec Adam Bosworth: ““We’ll make mistakes and it will be a long-range march.” Google’s search site status may give it an edge because so many people start there.

Microsoft: The site is due to launch this fall but the plans are long-term and “similarly ambitious.” Steve Shihadeh, GM-health solutions group, says it will take “grand scale” to deal with the technology (data storage, networking, etc.). Microsoft invested earlier this year in start-up Medstory, with search technology designed for the health industry. Microsoft already has software in hospitals, doctor’s offices, etc. so could have an edge in that regard.

Meanwhile, neither company has a clear playing field; in fact, it’s pretty crowded with veterans and start-ups. Steve Case’s Revolution is one of the more high-profile examples of the latter. They’re all competing with the status quo.