Apple Health Foot Print Taking Shape via Apple Watch

Recent key developments suggest that Apple is establishing itself as a key player in the area of mobile health.

Apple heart study launches today in an effort to identify irregular heart rhythms. This initiative is driven by Apple’s partnership with Stanford Medicine.

AFib, the leading cause of stroke, is responsible for approximately 130,000 deaths and 750,000 hospitalizations in the US every year. Many people don’t experience symptoms, so AFib often goes undiagnosed.

“Through the Apple Heart Study, Stanford Medicine faculty will explore how technology like Apple Watch’s heart rate sensor can help usher in a new era of proactive health care central to our Precision Health approach,” said Lloyd Minor, Dean of Stanford University School of Medicine. “We’re excited to work with Apple on this breakthrough heart study.”

The Apple Heart Study app is available in the US App Store to customers who are 22 years or older and have an Apple Watch Series 1 or later. Please check Apple’s news release today to find out all the details.

This week also marked a new milestone when it comes to health monitoring and Apple Watch

The new EKG Kardia band from the company AliveCor became the first Apple watch health accessory to receive FDA approval. The band is able to read in your EKG readings and detect abnormal heart rhythm and atrial fibrillation.

Using the Kardia app on the Apple Watch, users can start a reading by placing their thumb on the sensor and wait for the 30-second analysis to finish. The sensor sits in an easy to access location on the watchband.

Users will also be able to speak into the Apple Watch’s microphone to note the presence of palpitations or shortness of breath or any dietary habits that could be linked to heart-rate fluctuations.

The new Apple Watch accessory from Alivecor costs $199. Order it from the company’s website or Amazon.

This has been a good year for the Apple Watch and mobile health

Earlier this year, researchers from Cleveland Clinic found that the readings on your Apple Watch are remarkably reliable. The study deemed the Apple Watch heart rate monitor to be the best that one could find one a wearable device.

Monitoring is just the first step in the process. Managing a condition effectively by partnering with consumers and health care providers is where the rubber meets the road. Apple is striving to make advancements in this area as well.

The company is trying to recruit behavioral data scientists into its Health Strategic Initiatives. According to the job summary for the position,

“The role will involve applying behavioral, economic, and social science theories, methods, and techniques to develop health-related products and programs. It requires a strong ability to translate quantitative data into actions and recommendations to improve engagement and drive individual behavior change. This would also include leading applied research in the field of behavioral science to understand the impact of products on consumers’ health journey.”

These new health-related use cases show that Apple Watch is becoming a centerpiece to Apple’s digital health strategy and we can not only expect more health monitoring use cases but also see a set of initiatives that will help us manage our behaviors to reach effective outcomes.

SK( Managing Editor )

Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.

Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.

In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.