Apple Is Now More Actively Involved In Maintaining The Health Of Its Users

JAKARTA - Apple Inc. on Wednesday, July 20 released a report outlining a two-pronged strategy in the digital healthcare market. First they woo consumers with health and wellness features. On the other hand they are getting involved with the traditional health care system.

Spearheaded by Apple's chief operating officer, Jeff Williams, the report is the first time Apple has offered a comprehensive look at its approach to the healthcare market in the eight years since it started releasing health features such as a medical record-keeping system on the iPhone. They also began partnering with institutions such as the Stanford University School of Medicine to conduct large-scale formal medical studies.

Much of the work centers around the Apple Watch, a device that Williams says has played a key role in bringing it to market and which contains sensors for heart health and other functions.

In the report, Apple said its focus for consumers is on providing a safe place for users to store their health and medical information on iPhones. Apple hopes that by using tools like the Apple Watch they can warn and encourage users towards better health.

The device can warn people of cardiac irregularities and detect when a person is falling hard to alert emergency contacts, among other features. Apple says its systems can now store 150 different types of health data encrypted so that only users, not Apple, can access it.

The company also outlines the work it is doing with medical researchers to enable them to use Apple devices to conduct research, as well as enabling patients to share and discuss data collected by Apple devices so they can better monitor their health between doctor visits.

Williams wrote in his report that Apple intends to continue developing health-related features for users and the healthcare industry.

"Our vision for the future is to continue to create science-based technologies that equip people with more information and act as smart guards for their health, so they are no longer passengers on their own health journey," Williams wrote.