A few of the world’s leading healthcare providers, including Mount Sinai, the Cleveland Clinic, and Johns Hopkins, are reported to be in talks with Apple regarding the use of the tech giant’s new Healthkit mobile application. According to reports, Healthkit would be used to collect and store healthcare data and information at their facilities.
The talks are in the very early stages and may not even amount to anything substantial, yet they highlight Apple’s determination to break into the booming health tech industry by creating this app. Healthkit may just be become the go-to app for consolidating important patient health data and vitals, such as blood pressure, pulse, and weight, making it easier for consumers and healthcare providers to view.
Apple’s Health app is schedule to debut later this fall, along with iOS 8. The Health app will offer a dashboard where users have the ability to track their sleep, nutrition, allergies, total calories burned, daily exercise, heart rate and even blood sugar. However, Healthkit is a tool for developers allows mobile apps to collect and store health information from a number of different sources and share it between patients and doctors, thereby allowing physicians to better monitor and treat patients in between visits.
Apple is just one of many tech companies attempting to solve the high costs and inefficiencies of the healthcare system. However, healthcare has always been a dicey industry to enter because it is so highly regulated. An app or cloud software that collects and stores patient information would be subject to HIPPA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, policies. This would require encrpytion and very high levels of security.
However, consumers continue to demand quality, affordable, and convenient healthcare. Apps such as Healthkit have to the potential meet this demand by streamlining the treatment process. Between emerging local urgent care centers and mobile apps, the healthcare industry is undergoing a revolution of sorts, and is constantly adapting to the modern world.