CUPERTINO, Calif. – Apple has introduced an update to its Health app that allows users to see their own medical records on their iPhone.
“Our goal is to help consumers live a better day,” said Jeff Williams, COO at Apple, in a statement. “We’ve worked closely with the health community to create an experience everyone has wanted for years—to view medical records easily and securely right on your iPhone.”
Apple is beta testing the feature with 12 health systems, including: Johns Hopkins Medicine; Cedars-Sinai; Penn Medicine; Geisinger Health System; UC San Diego Health; UNC Health Care; Rush University Medical Center; Dignity Health; Ochsner Health System; MedStar Health; OhioHealth; and Cerner Healthe Clinic.
In the past, patients’ medical records were held in multiple locations, requiring patients to log into each care provider’s website and piece together the information manually. Apple worked with the health care community to take a consumer-friendly approach, creating the Health Records section based on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, a standard for transferring electronic medical records.
Now, consumers will have medical information from various institutions organized into one view covering allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures and vitals, and will receive notifications when their data is updated. Health Records data is encrypted and protected with the user’s iPhone passcode.
“By empowering customers to see their overall health, we hope to help consumers better understand their health and help them lead healthier lives” said Williams.