Apple is reportedly working with major healthcare providers to ensure HealthKit becomes a tool used by physicians. If the iPhone maker can come to an agreement, the tools that tap into HealthKit, such as an iWatch, will likely become much more prominent when they’re released. We’ve been hearing Apple’s wearable will mostly focus on health, and if Apple can have the larger companies on its side, it could potentially revolutionize the market.
We pretty much already know what HealthKit will offer, but the ultimate target won’t just be for consumers to collect important information about themselves. Apple’s goal is to create a platform that doctors can use to provide better care to their patients. Right now Apple is reportedly in talks with the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins, as well as digital healthcare company Epic Systems. With Apple’s HealthKit platform acting as a hub of data, physicians will be able to access that information when needed.
According to Reuters, there are already multiple devices capable of recording important vitals, but no central hub where this data can easily be accessed. Apple’s HealthKit system can fix this fragmentation, all the while providing a better platform for the healthcare industry. That means your entire health history will follow you from doctor to doctor, or in emergencies, hopefully leading to better care overall.
Apple’s HealthKit announcement in June was relatively low-key, but it has much larger implications than even Apple lead on. If the company manages to get the backing of major healthcare providers, HealthKit could evolve into a huge part of the industry. It isn’t clear how advanced these talks are just yet, but you can bet Apple is going on the full offensive during negotiations.
Smartphones and tablets have been done before. The next big industry, it seems, will be health.
Source: Reuters