Your Apple Health app is about to get more intricate but more helpful to your doctor. Apple has plans to revamp its HealthKit app by rolling out to a fuller diagnostic tool that can interpret fitness and health data in order to prompt medical advice. The data is intended to be helpful to consumers but also their doctors, who are already sounding off about the added features.
A group of health experts have been brought on board to help expand the functionality and offerings associated with the app. This would be available on a variety of Apple products, including the watch.
At a conference in May, Apple CEO Tim Cook said: “If you drive for a while and your car gets too hot, it says pull over. If you need an oil change, it says check your oil. What’s the equivalent for the body?”
Doctors don’t seem to be surprised by the additional features, noting many benefits despite a few hesitancies, including security.
“I think it could help in the ER setting if no identification or contact info was found. At the same time, I don’t think we would take much time to access or look through someone’s phone for information if they are needing immediate medical attention,” said Dr. Aleks Radovic, a Chicago-based ER physician, who is CEO and founder of RxOnDemand.
The original app and its software were added to Apple devices in 2014, gathering data immediately. Data collection currently includes, but is not limited to, steps per day, nutrition, sleeping hours, vitals and even reproductive health.
The new system is slated to include an increased number of related apps that will take more sophisticated measurements, especially connected to heart activity. The capability to turn the data into diagnosis and be able to be shared with medical practitioners is what is the true force behind the initiative.
This comes after Apple purchased Gliimpse, a platform that pulls electronic health records to store them under one location.
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