Apple recently announced it is taking on medical records by storing them right on your iPhone. They are revamping the health app already on the phone to include immunizations, lab results, procedures and vitals, allergies, medications and more.
In the past, patients’ medical data was stored in silos of hospitals, clinics, and labs. There was little, if any, communication between providers which resulted in unnecessary paperwork, duplication of tests, and rising costs.
Apple is engaging patients by giving them access to their health records. “By empowering customers to see their overall health, we hope to help consumers better understand their health and help them lead healthier lives,” said Jeff Williams, Apples COO.
Industrial and Systems engineer and assistant professor in health information technology, Haneen Ali weighs in on this topic,” Apple’s partnership with multiple healthcare organizations is a game changer, especially for patients. And it will have a huge impact on the healthcare system by empowering patients, improving communication, and by laying a platform for innovation.”
Third party emergence into the field of healthcare has many holding onto the hope that new perspectives can reduce costs and improve quality in a system that has skyrocketing costs. “Cost is another issue here,” says Ali. “People understand the high cost of healthcare, and this is a major reason behind the success of fitness Apps. People are more engaged with their health.”
Other major companies have attempted stints in the healthcare marketplace and come up short. Google Health and Microsoft’s HealthVault were recent attempts that didn’t create the sweeping change that they were hoping for.
However, with two-thirds of Americans owning an Apple product and 40 percent of smartphone users owning an iPhone, Ali is confident Apple will make a strong push,” I think Apple will succeed and the adoption will be high because people now are tech-users, and more than 68 percent of people are using smartphones and can understand how to navigate the phone interfaces. Also, the fitness Apps show a very good acceptance rate, so people understand the impact of monitoring their daily activities and sleeping patterns on their health. In the future, we will see more demand for more access to health-related data.”
Security has been posed as a potential issue, but with Apple's track record with security and promise of privacy, consumers can expect to be protected. The data will be encrypted and protected with the users’ iPhone passcode.
“Apple will create a better health experience for users, this is what they do. They design to meet users’ needs,” Ali said,” In the future, physicians might be able to send a basic set of questions to the patient through an App before patients go to their appointments! So, again, this will eventually improve the patient experience. “
The hope is that the Apple will create a user-friendly-interface to combat the complexities of the healthcare system, improve the efficiency of care, and reduce costs.
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