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Apple Confirms ECG Functionality is Coming to Canada 'as Quickly as Possible'
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I don't get the fascination with always having ECG availability on this. I don't think it is a feature pushing myself to buy this device. I'd imagine it is something to do maybe once a year? If I went to an Apple store, tried the device on, checked ECG, and it found something, go to a doctor and figure out if there truly was a problem.
Other future monitorable items like blood sugar seem to me to be a far greater tool if it is ever achievable. I wear an Abbott Libre sensor that I scan the NFC tag with my iPhone to get a indication of how my interstitial blood sugar level dips and rises with diet, exercise and it is a life changer.
Other future monitorable items like blood sugar seem to me to be a far greater tool if it is ever achievable. I wear an Abbott Libre sensor that I scan the NFC tag with my iPhone to get a indication of how my interstitial blood sugar level dips and rises with diet, exercise and it is a life changer.
The issue, and Apple's AW4 success has been people can check daily or the watch detects Afib and prompts a wearer to then check ECG ... vs ... how minimally a person goes to the doctor (usually once/6mths or only when their too sick to work). Therein lies the rub.
I returned mine after 12 days ... yet my CC is also on standby. S5 I most likely will upgrade to and give my S4+AppleCare to my son when I do upgrade.
It could be a heart issue that happens infrequently. If you feel something you can immediately do an ECG on your watch and try to record it.
I pre-ordered series 4 Watch at launch due to the ECG features announced during the keynote. I rushed to the hospital last year twice due to chest pain. Both times the hospital didn't find anything but I was expecting that if there is anything the Watch will be able to detect. However, the ECG feature wasn't released at launch but it was expected that it will be with a software update soon so I didn't return the watch in 30 day period. Now after 9 months, ECG is still not available in Australia. This is false marketing by Apple and if Apple didn't work on regulatory approvals for launching this feature, they shouldn't have used this as a marketing point in the keynote for series-4.
In the US each change would need to be vetted by the FDA. But it would probably speed up the process.
I'm not sure what the marketing message was in Australia, but to be fair Apple did say at the keynote, ECG was available to US customers only. They didn't specify a time frame, but that other countries would follow.
Since when is the US part of the Commonwealth?
Does Australia have a lot in common with Pakistan or India, which are Commonwealth members?
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Yes I know. I was saying it made more sense to prioritise EU countries than the anglophone commonwealth countries, which has more variations in their regulations.
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The continent of Africa has a much smaller population of people who can actually afford the Apple Watch despite its much larger population. If I had to choose between them I would choose to launch in the EU given the much more unified regulations and larger customer base.
Australia and New Zealand often in first group to get new products. Why aren't we getting this yet?
Government... geez. It's not like they will do any additional testing or anything. Probably want Apple to cough up a fee... grrr
I still dont get why this function is any different to heart rate or sleep patterns. It will never be 100% accurate but if it can highlight a potential issue. Worth it!
Government... geez. It's not like they will do any additional testing or anything. Probably want Apple to cough up a fee... grrr
I still dont get why this function is any different to heart rate or sleep patterns. It will never be 100% accurate but if it can highlight a potential issue. Worth it!
Canadian here. We do NOT have a national health service, it's handled by province.
In relation to your other comment about how much money Apple has and how it should have already been approved? Turns out those countries are slightly less bribable than the USA....
Some may want to believe that the UK is closer to the U.S. than to the rest of Western Europe, but apart from the language and some security cooperation (Five Eyes, etc.) that is mostly wishful thinking. In regard to regulation, there is much more harmonisation within the EU than there is between the U.S. and the UK.
From Apple’s website:
“
- Features are subject to change. Some features, applications, and services may not be available in all regions or all languages.”
- Not an Apple problem, a government problem. Also, there is no false marketing at all. Apple said ECG would be available in the US by end of 2018, and more markets after. It launched in the US in Dec 2018, in 19 European countries in March 2019, and 5 more in May.
Medical device approval is quite complex, and for good reason as it can affect a human life. It’s not just about money, especially in countries that have their own approval bodies.
Thus there’s a catch 22 for an international company like Apple who tailored their product announcement for US market. This can create an illusion of false advertising simply because many features they announced ended up only being valid for few markets, but the announcement is seen worldwide. Heck, many regions don’t even have the news app.
I live in Australia. The Australian Apple Watch page never mentioned the ECG features at all. So to the person who rushed out to get the Series 4 for ECG, the expectation of gaining ECG anytime soon had no factual backing. Plus it's Australia, we wait forever for everything.
And how they approved all heartrate monitors included virtually in every smart watch/band or all chinese bloodpresure monitors or the corporal thermometers selling for 10$ in all consumer electronic stores? This is pure stupidity and burocracy. The watch is a measuring tool, not professional medical diagnostic tool. It makes a reading and the app on the phone tells you if this reading is normal based on the algorithum Apple developed. Nothing more and nothing less.
So you think a company should be able to pay or "influence" a health ministry? Or do you think everyone else should wait on Canada and the UK? Australia, by the way? The same one that is JUST NOW getting their major banks on Apple Pay?
Another thing to keep in mind is that whilst the ECG may detect AFib, there are other arrhythmias which it will NOT detect. So its not the be all and end all. I have a Kardia device which only detects AFib also... and you need to be real quick to start the app and get your fingers on the electrodes if you dont have it ongoing. I did, just once (it lasted for about 20 minutes), and called the Ambulance. Most of the time I have ectopic beats, or skipped beats... Apple ECG (and Kardia) wont care about those.
The Apple watch won't specifically alert to PVCs, but the ECG will record them and you can show the recording to your doctor.