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Apple to Add Organ Donor Registration Option to Health App in iOS 10

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Apple is set to give U.S. users of its mobile Health app a one-tap option to sign up as organ, eye, and tissue donors when the company releases iOS 10 this fall (via CNBC).

The option to enroll in the national donor registry will be made available via a button in the operating system's native Health app, which allows users to view and manage their health and fitness data.

Speaking to The Associated Press, CEO Tim Cook said he hoped the new option would help ease a longstanding donor shortage, a problem that hit home when Steve Jobs endured an "excruciating" wait for a liver transplant in March 2009.

Cook reportedly offered to donate a portion of his own liver because the two men shared a blood type, but Jobs turned down Cook's offer and later received a full liver transplant.

Jobs died of pancreatic cancer in October 2011, aged 56.
"Apple's mission has always been to create products that transform people's lives. With the updated Health app, we're providing education and awareness about organ donation and making it easier than ever to register. It's a simple process that takes just a few seconds and could help save up to eight lives," said Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer. "Together with Donate Life America, we're excited to deliver this new feature to iPhone users in the US with iOS 10."
Click to expand...
The U.S government is currently pushing an initiative to speed up the donor and matching service, while Facebook, Google and Twitter are also developing tools to achieve greater automation in the process, as part of their own public advocacy campaigns.

According to government statistics, someone is added to the national organ transplant waiting list every 10 minutes and 22 people die while waiting for life-saving transplants every day.

Apart from an interface overhaul for the Health app, iOS 10 includes major updates for Messages, Siri, Photos, Maps, Apple Music, News, Apple Pay, Control Center, and more.

Update: Apple has published a press release that says all organ, eye, and tissue donor registrations submitted from iPhone will be sent directly to the National Donate Life Registry managed by Donate Life America.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple to Add Organ Donor Registration Option to Health App in iOS 10
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/07/05/apple-organ-donor-option-health-app/
Porco

Porco

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Mar 28, 2005
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You can have my Wurlitzer if I die.

This is a good thing of course. Personally I don't agree with the idea of assumed consent (about almost anything) but I do agree with making it as easy as possible to get people to decide, and make their choice known.

I like the health app anyway, it's helped me track my weight as I have recently got thinner (this is not an Apple-related joke, I am 100% serious).
 
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SpiderDude

SpiderDude

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Porco said:
... it's helped me track my weight as I have recently got thinner (this is not an Apple-related joke, I am 100% serious).
Click to expand...

The joys of reading this forum. Had you not added the elipses I'd not be laughing right now.
Also, your name being porco (pig) makes me wanna do some joke about lean bacon but I'll keep it to myself.
 
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Robert.Walter

Robert.Walter

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Organ donation has been a part of the "Medical ID" portion of the Health App from the beginning.

(How many of you know that this great feature exists, can be opened from the lock screen by first responders*, can be used to get your critical medical info and call emergency contacts from the lock screen? Also in iOS 10, and watchOS 3, the info will port over to the Apple Watch to serve as a medical ID bracelet.)

I wish that there would be a family "Medical ID Family Sharing" feature so mom and dad could mutually share their Medical ID and have the Medical ID data from their children in their phones as well. (This increases the chance of first responders having more devices with information at hand in the event of a major family emergency.)

Also, the passive nature of the Medical ID feature (have to swipe the lock screen and tap the "Emergency" button to get to info) has always bugged me a bit. Here in Switzerland, the Swiss Transplant organization has created their own app "Medical ID" (also available in the US App Store) which can be added to Passbook and which automatically opens on the lock screen in the presence of a Bluetooth beacon in an ambulance or hospital emergency room. It would be great if the Apple native app incorporated such functionality too.

*As something like a volunteer paramedic (Samariter), we haven't yet been trained to look for these but I do.
 
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Piggie

Piggie

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Feb 23, 2010
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I had to smile as this is so "Anti Apple"

Using old bits to keep old tech alive?
No, scrap it, and get a new one.

Apple are the total opposite of using parts to fix other devices.
Apple humans would be sealed and non serviceable.
When it gets old, scrap it and get a new one.

THAT'S Apple !!! ;)
 
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HobeSoundDarryl

HobeSoundDarryl

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An excellent addition. This is one of those things that needs a steady marketing push (to max out the number of willing participants)... and I'm not referring to a steady push by Apple- but a push across all channels. Too many people die awaiting organ transplants while too many others die trying to take their organs with them... or confused by superstition, etc.

I doubt that most people grasp the depth of the need (due to lack of awareness) so I suspect this being an "always there" element of an Apple iOS item can help with that. And due to that depth, I hope this is one of those things that Android, Windows, etc copies too. Even an Android or Windows owner's kidney, liver, lung, heart, etc is better than someone dying needing one of those.

Way to go Apple!
 
Robert.Walter

Robert.Walter

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Jul 10, 2012
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Piggie said:
I had to smile as this is so "Anti Apple"

Using old bits to keep old tech alive?
No, scrap it, and get a new one.

Apple are the total opposite of using parts to fix other devices.
Apple humans would be sealed and non serviceable.
When it gets old, scrap it and get a new one.

THAT'S Apple !!! ;)
Click to expand...

Two words: ifixit (dot) com ;)

Besides, if Apple designed a person, it would continuously be getting thinner.
 
Porco

Porco

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GenesisST said:
Why PRSI for this?!
Click to expand...

It's an issue that falls into all three categories (politics, religion and society) I'd say. Some might say it shouldn't, but therein lies the potential for heated arguments!
 
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I am curious as to how MR determines that a health app update for organ donations is a political item - SMH. I have been censored in the past for what they believe were political statements in a non-political thread. The arbitrary decisions that the editors are making is a bit baffling.

On point -
In the last few months, my brother in law died and I accompanied my sister at the hospital. He had not declared his intentions in writing so there was an emotional heart wrenching conversation to figure out what was the right thing to do given the circumstances. I have since updated all my documents to make my choice explicit so that there is no question when the time comes. I think that in the US where this information is found on the Driver's license it should be mandatory for everyone to choose either way when you get your license. Right now it shows up only if you opt in. Everyone should be forced to opt in/out so it is clear. I think what Apple is doing here is good too, but again if someone does not opt in, that does not mean they have specifically opted out, so it leaves a bit of an open question.
 
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