Two month ago, in September, Apple announced the plan of a research app which allows US consumers to participate in several health studies, straight from their Apple devices.
And today, the research app has gone live on both Apple Watch and iPhone for the USA customers. From within the app, users will be able to participate in three health studies – women’s health study, heart & movement study, and hearing study.
Apple had partnered with health organizations and researchers for previous studies as well, but those studies generally required users to install an app on their iOS device. This new Research app, in turn, offers a concentrated place for the opt-in activity, making it simple for people to join multiple studies – all at once.
The data and information collected from the Apple devices provides researchers an ability to perform large scale health studies in a way that was not possible earlier without spending a hefty amount. Now the users can share their health related information – heart signals, sound exposure, etc. – directly with researchers.
On the security grounds, Apple has yet again come several strides ahead of Android in the Apple vs Android: Which platform is more secure debate. The tech giant has put the rights of data sharing in users’ control and is passing the commitment that the data will be encrypted and won’t be sold. They have also promised that the users will be informed of how the data is being is users and they will have the freedom to withdraw from the program at any time.
“Today marks an important moment as we embark on research initiatives that may offer incredible learnings in areas long sought after by the medical community,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, in a statement about the launch of app. “Participants on the Research app have the opportunity to make a tremendous impact that could lead to new discoveries and help millions lead healthier lives.”
How does the app works?
When the app is opened, users will get a memo explaining how all the studies have been studied and approved by independent ethics committees.
Next, the privacy screen pops up. On the screen, the users are specified that their data will not be sold to any third party source and that they will be given the choice to decide which data they want to share. It also mentions there that any person can stop sharing the data whenever they want to. However, if they have contributed to a study, they will not be able to retract the data.
The users, however, will be given a 24 hours window to stop the data from being sent to the study. Moreover, the application will ask the participants if they wish to re-enroll every two years, to ensure that they want to be a part of the research.
The new application is a big part of Apple’s plan to venture into healthcare domain. The brand has partnered with the The World Health Organization, American Heart Association, and the National Institute of Health, and some major research institutions like Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard’s School of Public Health, and the University of Michigan to make it a success.
The efforts that Apple is making towards the healthcare domain, is a sign that the era of mHealth app development is just getting started.
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