“Apple Inc has been discussing how its ‘HealthKit’ service will work with health providers at Mount Sinai, the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins as well as with Allscripts, a competitor to electronic health records provider Epic Systems, people familiar with the discussions said,” Christina Farr reports for Reuters. “While the talks may not amount to anything concrete, they underscore how Apple is intent on making health data, such as blood pressure, pulse and weight, available for consumers and health providers to view in one place.”
“Currently, this data is being collected by thousands of third-party health care software applications and medical devices, but it isn’t centrally stored. Apple also hopes physicians will use this data to better monitor patients between visits – with the patient’s consent — so the doctors can make better diagnostic and treatment decisions,” Farr reports. “Apple has not divulged much specific detail on HealthKit, which is expected to be incorporated into the iPhone 6 come September. But Apple intends HealthKit to become a lynchpin in a broader push into mobile healthcare.”
“The iPhone maker has previously disclosed partnerships with Nike Inc, Epic, and the prestigious Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic, which boasts a suite of mobile apps. Mayo is reportedly testing a service to flag patients when results from apps and devices are abnormal, with follow-up information and treatment recommendations Dozens of major health systems that use Epic’s software will soon be able to integrate health and fitness data from HealthKit into Epic’s personal health record, called MyChart, according to a person briefed by Apple. Kaiser Permanente is currently piloting a number of mobile apps that leverage HealthKit, two people have said, and is expected to reach out to Apple to discuss a more formal partnership.”
Much more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple files for HealthKit trademarks for watches, fitness sensors, and medical devices – August 5, 2014
Apple, iOS 8 Health, and the Gordian Knot of convoluted healthcare bureaucracy – August 2, 2014
How Apple’s iPhone 6 and iOS 8 will revolutionize sports, fitness, and health – July 17, 2014
Apple’s iWatch mystery continues with Korean trademark filing – May 5, 2014
Apple using shell company to trademark ‘iWatch’ – April 22, 2014
Apple extends company trademark to include ‘jewelry and watches’ – April 21, 2014
This will be interesting to see play out. A lot of tangled commercial and privacy interests in that game.
Merca