With Apple’s announcement of the beta version iOS 11.3 last week, it’s clear that they intend to make a serious foray into PHR technology. While rumors have touted expected health-related advancements by the tech giant since their debut of the Health app, that doesn’t diminish the significance of new updates, including Health Records, to the app that might change the future of interoperability in healthcare. Apple acquired the small health data startup Gliimpse in 2016. The company has been working on an AI engine that can read medical records and access them with patient permission through the individual patient portals of healthcare providers. The new feature aggregates the user’s healthcare information into one streamlined accessible location within the app, creating immediate electronic access to personal health records (PHR) right from your device. In Apple’s announcement, they state that the updated section within the Health app “brings together hospitals, clinics and the existing Health app to make it easy for consumers to see their available medical data from multiple providers whenever they choose,” thus, creating a straightforward and transparent approach to viewing and monitoring your health information from the iPhone in one easy, user-friendly view.
The new feature Health Records, creating interoperability between web-based patient health record services and patients, can be interpreted as a way to drive engagement as part of its development. By accessing a single device to find and monitor allergies, immunizations, medications, and lab results, patients are much more likely to “live a better day,” as Apple COO Jeff Williams said in a statement. The initiative to be more connected to health information will allow for another level of patient involvement with a complete portable view of their personal information. As stated by Healthcare Dive in their article regarding the iOS update, “[t]here’s a clear benefit for patients who need to manage multiple records and build a health history in between visits.”
As Apple moves forward with the participating hospitals and clinics that include Johns Hopkins Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, Pen Medicine, and others who are among the first players partnering to make health records available to patients, consumers, and industry leaders will be anxiously waiting to see how the technology makes a difference in the lives and health of patients. For many, it feels like a natural step in health technology. Healthcare Dive received a statement from Healthcare researcher Brian Eastwood, “Apple is widely accepting as understanding the user experience…[i]f all of the sudden, a substantial chunk of the population has the capability to tap into a patient portal in a way they haven’t before, then it could be a game changer.” In the past, other corporations that have taken on the PHR space have run into problems with consumer interest. It brings up doubts that patients will be interested in having this information as a constant portable resource. However, many are hopeful that Apple has the power to figure out how to get people to engage. It seems that if any tech company could get patients involved in their health in a more integrative way, Apple would be the company to do it.
The step toward interoperability between healthcare providers and patients is an exciting one, especially with the sleek user interface experience that Apple is known for. It also helps that they have an excellent reputation for security and privacy, with a loyal and trusting consumer base. These distinguishing factors, some believe, have made Apple the prime candidate to step into the PHR space. Apple based Health Records on FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources), a standard for exchanging medical records electronically. An overview of the FHIR standard states that it “aims to simplify implementation without sacrificing information integrity.” While the standard is a fairly new resource, it does bring a modicum of contentment regarding the security of personal data. Other security measures that are meant to protect your privacy include data encryption both while on your device as well as during the process of being sent to your phone—in other words, it doesn’t end up on Apple’s servers. Other limitations of the release, as added protection, disable you from sending medical records from your phone to a new doctor or clinic, as well as restrictions contacting a hospital or clinic directly through the app. Personal information is sent to the app on your phone if you have a patient portal through the institution.
For now, these limitations are a good start with the burgeoning PHR space. As Apple and other contenders continue to explore interoperability in healthcare, questions of security around personal health records and other concerns will pervade professionals and consumers alike. It’s important to remain alert as we step into new technology around personal information and healthcare data.
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