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Apple Inc.’s new ResearchKit software platform turns the iPhone into a diagnostic tool drawing medical data from millions of potential customers, creating a boon for researchers and a headache for privacy advocates. Just how viable is this announcement and is it more sizzle than steak?
The platform, which will be available on the latest version of iPhone software next month, will allow any iPhone user to enroll in tests of new drugs and therapies by downloading apps from hospitals and providers who are recruiting patients. Hardware already available on the iPhone, like the voice recorder and motion sensor, will then be used to measure health outcomes — everything from steps taken to testing whether someone’s voice patterns are indicative of Parkinson’s disease. It works with HealthKit, which Apple introduced last year.
ResearchKit joins health-tracking technology tools such as Fitbit Inc.’s wristwear that can generate reams of data on people’s health and activity levels. While researchers are enthusiastic about having access to such information culled from a diverse population, privacy advocates are concerned the information could be tied to individual users. ResearchKit’s uses would cross into areas where the privacy protections of the HIPAA law are not always present.
Via Pharma Guy, Celine Sportisse
During Apple's presentation, Tim