Apple launched its HealthKit app last year, and it has been a big success. This app allows users to correlate data from other apps they’re using to monitor their health and fitness. By placing all the data in one easy to access app, Apple may have put a new twist on health and fitness.
HealthKit collects data from users and then displays it in an easy to read format. By working in tandem with other apps, HealthKit can actually give many people the tools they need to form a healthier lifestyle.
Aside from the basic health benefits offered by the HealthKit app, there are much larger stakes in the technological advances made by Apple here. Bloomberg reports that Apple plans to share the data collected by its ResearchKit app, which works hand in hand with HealthKit, with researchers and scientists. This data will be shared with the user’s permission of course.
Apple’s senior vice president of operations said in a statement, “with hundreds of millions of iPhones in use around the world, we saw an opportunity for Apple to have an even greater impact by empowering people to participate in and contribute to medical research.”
So just how advanced is the app? Well, when used in conjunction with other devices it can measure much more than just a person’s heart rate or blood pressure. In fact, it can monitor asthma inhaler usage and even glucose levels. TechCrunch reports that users who participate in ResearchKit studies can receive help testing for Parkinson’s, diabetes, cardiovascular issues, asthma, and even breast cancer.
Now, while the health benefits may seem to be very apparent, there are some drawbacks to utilizing Apple’s service to the full extent the Cupertino company wants you too. Data shared via wearable mobile devices is not protected by privacy laws the way standard medical records are. Some legal experts have pointed out that Apple can sell the information to marketers who wish to target certain demographics.
Of course, there is always the risk of having your medical data stolen as well. It stands to reason that the more data you place online, the bigger your chances are of being hacked.
In the meantime, it looks like using the HealthKit app may just be a good way to track your fitness and health.
