Dive Brief:
- Apple has developed a new iOS softwork framework called ResearchKit that will allow people to join medical research studies remotely. Apple also unveiled the long-awaited Apple Watch on Monday.
- ResearchKit will be available in April, and will initially allow people to participate in tests for Parkinson's disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma and breast cancer.
- Twelve research institutions, including the University of Oxford and Stanford University, participated in development of the app.
Dive Insight:
Small sample sizes and inconsistent data collection can be some of the biggest obstacles to conducting medical research studies, so ResearchKit could potentially make medical research much easier. Scientists can use the software to build a medical testing app for iOS that can be accessed outside the lab. Data would be recorded using the iPhone's sensor. Due to the amount of time it will take to develop each research study into an app, it will be interesting to see how many researchers will use it.
Apple has been meeting with FTC officials since the end of last year to discuss privacy concerns surrounding its handling of consumer health data. Data that comes from apps is not regulated by HIPAA, leaving Apple's customers vulnerable.