There has been a lot of buzz around Apple’s announcement to enter the healthcare space with the unveiling of their Apple Watch and HealthKit app. HealthKit seems to be gaining momentum due in large part to Apple’s strategic partnerships with healthcare industry heavy-hitters. However, many questions remain 
unanswered and Apple must address them to gain buy-in from skeptics.
PRIVACY: How will patient information be kept private?
Having all patient information in one place seems like a necessary step to improve quality of care. A centralized location means the right person can have access to the right information at the right time. However, people are concerned about having all their private information in one location is too risky and makes them susceptible to hackers. Recently, Apple addressed privacy concerns by updating their privacy policy and their guidelines for app developers. Apps working with HealthKit, may not use the personal data gathered for advertising or data-mining uses other than for helping manage an individual’s health and fitness, or for medical research. Apple is also considering a “HealthKit Certification” for developers to help address the privacy concerns.
SECURITY: How will patient information be protected?
For years, there have been very little security concerns surrounding Apple, however, concerns over Apple’s security have risen recently after an alleged hack on iCloud led to several risque celebrity photos being published. According to cloud security vendor Skyhigh Networks, over 90% of cloud services used in healthcare pose medium to high security risk. Apple has promised to tighten up security on the iCloud to protect patient information. Healthcare consumers must regain confidence in Apple’s ability to keep their information secure and safe from hackers.
REAL-WORLD USE: How does the HealthKit work?
Lets face it, people are busy, Healthcare professionals are overloaded, and focused first and foremost on providing quality care to their patients. They do not have time to play with an iPhone app, needless to say, HealthKit data must be streamlined. It must be convenient, provide accurate and timely information and integrate seamlessly into a patient’s electronic medical records. Simply put people aren’t just going to use HealthKit because it is an Apple app, they aren’t going to use it because it is a fad (at least not long-term), they will use it because it is convenient and can improve patient outcomes.
Apple continues to build on their partnerships with major players in the healthcare industry. They are preparing to launch trials with two prominent hospitals in the United States. The trials will focus on a group of people with diabetes and chronic diseases and will offer a glimpse on how the HealthKit will work. The HealthKit app will receive information from regulated medical devices such as glucose monitors and blood pressure meters.
Standford University Hospital is working with Apple to track blood sugar levels in children with diabetes and Duke University is helping to develop a pilot program to track blood pressure, weight and other measurements for patients with heart disease and cancer. The goal with both of these trials is to improve speed and accuracy of data reported. If these pilot programs run smoothly you can expect to see them rapidly expand to other hospitals.
It is still too early to tell what impact Apple will have on the healthcare industry, but they are certainly putting the right pieces together. More work needs to be done to address privacy and security concerns and gain trust from the healthcare community. Their partnerships with hospitals, medical information services and medical device makers may be the perfect storm, but the success of HealthKit will depend on those that actually “use” it.
