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Ahead of WWDC, perhaps one of the most hyped features for iOS 8 was "Healthbook," which was said to serve as a Passbook-style app that aggregated a variety of health-related information in a colorful card array.

While Apple did indeed announce a new health initiative and accompanying app, "Healthbook" turned out to be off the mark. The app is called simply "Health," and appears to differ a bit from how it was described in early rumors. According to Apple, Health is designed to be an "easy-to-read" dashboard of health and fitness data, which can pull in information from several different sources. "It might just be the beginning of a health revolution," reads Apple's iOS 8 Health page.

health1.jpg
Heart rate, calories burned, blood sugar, cholesterol -- your health and fitness apps are great at collecting all that data. The new Health app puts that data in one place, accessible with a tap, giving you a clear and current overview of your health.
The Health app keeps track of several different health metrics measured by various devices, including heart rate, calories, cholesterol, and more. It also features an "emergency card" that includes all of a user's important health information, including blood type and allergies, which can be displayed directly on the lock screen of an iOS device.

health2.jpg
As can be seen in screenshots of the app, it aggregates information into a selection of categories such as Diagnostics, Fitness, Lab Results, Medications, Nutrition, Sleep, and Vitals. Many of these categories can also be displayed on a dashboard chart, giving users an at-a-glance view of their overall health.

Accompanying Health is the HealthKit tool for developers, which can be incorporated into both new and existing health and fitness apps to allow them to access the health data stored within the Health app. Users are able to choose exactly what's shared and can, potentially, choose to share data from a health-related app with a doctor. Apps can also be authorized to share information with each other. A nutrition app might share how many calories are consumed with a fitness app, for example.

According to Dr. John H. Noseworthy, CEO of the Mayo Clinic, Apple's HealthKit has the potential to "revolutionize how the health industry interacts with people." The Mayo Clinic is already working with Apple and HealthKit, creating an app that allows patients to monitor their blood pressure, sending alerts to doctors automatically.

Despite all of the focus on Apple's health related initiative before WWDC, the company spent very little time going over the Health app. It is likely we'll see an additional focus on Health in the coming months as it is likely to also integrate with Apple's much-rumored wearable device, the iWatch. Health and HealthKit, both part of iOS 8, are available to developers today with a public release of the operating system expected in the fall.

Article Link: A Look at 'Health' and 'HealthKit', Apple's New Health Initiative
 

chriscrk

macrumors 6502a
Nov 14, 2011
524
1,069
Planet Earth (?)
I felt like they didn't talk much about it. I figure they'll make a bigger deal about it when releasing the iPhone 6 + iWatch later in the year. It'll become far more important.
 

bushido

Suspended
Mar 26, 2008
8,070
2,755
Germany
as this app most likely requires an iPhone5S + is there an updated list on the apple page yet that tells me what features of iOS 8 r working on the iPhone5? cant find any yet
 

GuitarDTO

macrumors 6502a
Feb 16, 2011
687
110
Apple should do well with this.

Care to elaborate, other than the obvious goal of being first and not providing meaningful comment?

So far all I see is a nicety for health care industry if patients so choose to use this, but overall I find it hard to fathom the majority of people will care enough to track this type of information to even care about Apple's all in one location for putting the info. If American's have proven one thing, it's that they don't care about their health (see obesity epidemic).
 

Bare

macrumors regular
Jun 17, 2008
182
6
The issue is going to be which companies and apps will be compatible with this initially. I've avoided devices from companies like Fitbit and Jawbone because they can't track cycling activities, and it's not exactly easy to combine data entered into cyclist-friendly tracking apps like Strava and Garmin Connect.

However, if Strava or Garmin Connect can be combined with Fitbit's app and all data can be compiled together in the Health app, this will be fantastic -- a breakthrough that is much needed in this realm.
 

chriscrk

macrumors 6502a
Nov 14, 2011
524
1,069
Planet Earth (?)
How is this innovation?

Apple did two things today:
1) Connected the devices they all ready make
2) Enable developers deeper access to the system

No new innovations from Apple yet again.

At least Tim has learned he is a bumbling idiot and let Craig to most of the talking. Now if only they had more then one guy who could give a presentation maybe I could stay focused.

(and don't call me a troll, I have been buying Apple for longer then most. Just look at the stock price after the announcement today...)

Maybe we will see something exciting at the iPhone/iPad announcements later this year.

Stock prices never seem to rise much, or at all, after announcements, because the people in WS think just like you: If Apple doesn't introduce something absolutely game changing, they believe they're failing.

Fact is, Apple did present lots of awesome new things today, a lot of them which go towards developers, which in turn will be beneficial to users. It's just not as direct as "here's new features for you users".

Plus, surely a lot of these things will be expanded on a bit more with the introduction of the iPhone 6 (and iWatch?), such as the Health app.
 

Steviejobz

macrumors 68020
Jun 19, 2010
2,122
363
SoCal
Though the 3rd party app integration is obvious, this part of the presentation seemed somewhat incomplete since there was no associated hardware to do all the things craig was mentioning.
 

Wayfarer

macrumors 65816
Jun 15, 2007
1,225
601
Anyone else think this looks A LOT better than the fake mockups?

Talk about tripping on colors.
 

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quickcalibre

macrumors regular
Sep 20, 2013
191
32
London
I don't think I like it, I do own a withings scale and it is brilliant at syncing up with my iphone.

But I don't think I fancy having to buy multiple bits of plastic to get a clear picture of my health.
 

Steviejobz

macrumors 68020
Jun 19, 2010
2,122
363
SoCal
How is this innovation?

Apple did two things today:
1) Connected the devices they all ready make
2) Enable developers deeper access to the system

No new innovations from Apple yet again.

At least Tim has learned he is a bumbling idiot and let Craig to most of the talking. Now if only they had more then one guy who could give a presentation maybe I could stay focused.

(and don't call me a troll, I have been buying Apple for longer then most. Just look at the stock price after the announcement today...)

Maybe we will see something exciting at the iPhone/iPad announcements later this year.

Sorry but looking at one day performance is trolling. Apple shares have outperformed the market over the past 1-2 months. You are a buyer so it is understood that developer centric updates might not seem like innovation but Apple further entrenched users into its ecosystem with the improved continuity and a whole new generation of developers will be using Swift and create things for Apple they might not have otherwise. Admittedly these are longer range pursuits but lack of such investment into the R&D can have dire consequences for the company longer term. Just ask RIMM. As a shareholder you should be pleased and the hardware which most average folks salivate over will be forthcoming as per usual.
 

Blakjack

macrumors 68000
Jun 23, 2009
1,805
317
I think it's obvious that this was just a preview of what they will present in the fall with iWatch and iPhone 6. They had to establish that they were entering the health field now with everyone else rushing their products and services to market. This tells me that the iWatch is going to be a health beast. I can see them building something wonderful.
 

roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
Can't really think much use I could make of it, but knowing John Appleseed has hypertension explains a lot.
 

Zoboomafoo

macrumors 6502
May 22, 2002
447
749
Anyone else think this looks A LOT better than the fake mockups?

Talk about tripping on colors.

My reaction to the fake mockups: abject horror
My reaction to the reality: cautious optimism.

I agree with what others said, there's probably more to come on this in the form of something that (barely) fits in my pocket. :)
 

jonbravo77

macrumors 65816
Feb 20, 2008
1,000
25
Phoenix, AZ
The best part of this app is the Medical Card. You can put in emergency contacts and health info. If you have a lock code on your phone any medical professional can turn on your phone and swipe left to get to the emergency call screen and on the lower left corner there is a medical card text that will allow them access to your emergency contact and medical info. That is sweet especially to someone that has medical issues.
 

Michaelgtrusa

macrumors 604
Oct 13, 2008
7,900
1,821
Care to elaborate, other than the obvious goal of being first and not providing meaningful comment?

So far all I see is a nicety for health care industry if patients so choose to use this, but overall I find it hard to fathom the majority of people will care enough to track this type of information to even care about Apple's all in one location for putting the info. If American's have proven one thing, it's that they don't care about their health (see obesity epidemic).

For those Americans that do care about health like me.
 
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