Apple Working With Health Gorilla to Offer Comprehensive Medical Records on iPhone

[MacRumors]

In its quest to turn the iPhone into a comprehensive health repository for every iPhone user, Apple has teamed up with Health Gorilla, a company specializing in aggregating diagnostic information, reports CNBC.

Citing two sources familiar with Apple's plans, CNBC says Apple is working with Health Gorilla to add diagnostic data to the iPhone by cooperating with hospitals, imaging centers, and lab-testing companies. According to Health Gorilla's website, the startup offers a secure clinical network that aggregates health data from a range of providers, offering doctors and hospitals access to a comprehensive overview of a patient's health.

While the service is aimed at medical providers, patients are also able to use the service to get a copy of their medical records "in 10 minutes."

Access your complete health profile in one place, from prior medical history, to doctor and specialist referrals, to your latest test results. It's all available through Health Gorilla's secure clinical network, anytime - from your computer or your favorite device on the go.

Thousands of physicians, specialists, labs, clinics, health centers, hospitals, and other facilities are already connected to Health Gorilla. Reach them easily, and securely share information with everyone in your care circle - whether medical professionals or family and loved ones.

Last week, CNBC said Apple has a "secretive team" within its health unit that has been communicating with developers, hospitals, and industry groups with the aim of storing clinical data on the iPhone and turning it into a "one-stop shop" for medical info.

Apple wants to create a centralized database for all of a person's health data, which would allow the medical community to overcome existing barriers that often prevent or complicate the transfer of patient data between providers, ultimately resulting in better care for patients.

Through Health Gorilla, the Health app on the iPhone could perhaps include a range of data sourced directly from different health providers in the future, offering up blood work results, x-rays, physical therapy information, and more.

In addition to allegedly working with Health Gorilla, Apple is also said to have hired several developers familiar with the protocols dictating the transfer of electronic health records, and it has also talked with several health IT industry groups dedicated to universal medical records, including The Argonaut Project and The Carin Alliance.

Integration of detailed health records would make the Health app, which already aggregates medical data and health information from the Apple Watch and other connected devices, an even more valuable resource for iPhone users.

Article Link: Apple Working With Health Gorilla to Offer Comprehensive Medical Records on iPhone

 

[The Barron]

Bravo, Apple. This is heading in the right direction with iOS. The car can wait, but all things health can & will be a game changer if you can get this implemented pronto as in before Sammy steals it!

 

[WRChris]

I like that my doctor is the only one with my medical records. I'm curious how secure that data will be in an iOS app.

 

[The Barron]

I would really like to see a company like BioTelemetry, Inc. that provides cardiac monitoring, cardiac monitoring device manufacturing, and centralized cardiac core laboratory services, team up with Apple so users could monitor cardiac activity if they needed that service.

 

[Kaibelf]

I like that my doctor is the only one with my medical records. I'm curious how secure that data will be in an iOS app.

The point is this helps when you have multiple doctors throughout life, such as when you move, need a specialist, etc. and they aren't all on the same system. It also allows you to easily port your records to a new doctor without it becoming an ordeal.

As for the security, I can only imagine it would be strong enough for HIPAA compliance.

 

[The Barron]

I would really like to see a company like BioTelemetry, Inc. that provides cardiac monitoring, cardiac monitoring device manufacturing, and centralized cardiac core laboratory services, team up with Apple so users could monitor cardiac activity if they needed that service.

My mother, who wore a pacemaker & was often using other monitoring devices could have greatly benefited from something like the iPhone or watch or even her iPad & this new Apple health-related iOS technology.

BEAT, aka BioTelemetry, is highly regarded in the world of cardiology according to her cardio doc. Let's do it Apple!

 

[KazKam]

I never understood how all these hospitals use Epic/MyChart for their digital/online medical records, yet they all have a different app or website. Seems like it wouldn't be that difficult to have one MyChart app/website that you just add approved/allowed providers to, and that would aggregate your Epic records from all those providers.

 

[jclo]

I like that my doctor is the only one with my medical records. I'm curious how secure that data will be in an iOS app.

Personally, I trust my iPhone/Apple over my doctor's office as far as encryption and security go.

 

[WRChris]

Personally, I trust my iPhone/Apple over my doctor's office as far as encryption and security go.

Really? I'm not sure I do. I'm all about using the phone to send info to the doctor but a full comprehensive medical record on the device doesn't make much sense to me.
I would think lose or theft of my device would be more likely than someone breaking in my doctors office and stealing the data. It's probably a non issue, but that's where my mind went immediately.
[doublepost=1497910114][/doublepost]

The point is this helps when you have multiple doctors throughout life, such as when you move, need a specialist, etc. and they aren't all on the same system. It also allows you to easily port your records to a new doctor without it becoming an ordeal.

As for the security, I can only imagine it would be strong enough for HIPAA compliance.

I'm in no way against this, just don't see the need for it on my phone.

 

[QuarterSwede]

I like that my doctor is the only one with my medical records. I'm curious how secure that data will be in an iOS app.

Considering they have to follow strict HIPPA laws in the US when transferring and saving medical data you can bet it'll be secure.

 

[WRChris]

Considering they have to follow strict HIPPA laws in the US when transferring and saving medical data you can bet it'll be secure.

So will the health app have added security vs what the OS already has? Would touchid passcode meet those requirements? I'm not so worried about someone remotely getting the info I'm more worried about a local security breach, as in if someone stole my phone and unlocked it.

 

[Tork]

Really? I'm not sure I do. I'm all about using the phone to send info to the doctor but a full comprehensive medical record on the device doesn't make much sense to me.
I would think lose or theft of my device would be more likely than someone breaking in my doctors office and stealing the data. It's probably a non issue, but that's where my mind went immediately.

Your info, if they use any kind of modern EMR software, is almost certainly on a central server somewhere and not in his/her office. And I think Apple has a pretty good track record handling sensitive info, which would be encrypted. We've seen what intelligence officials have had to do to even try to unlock the home screen of a terrorist's phone...not easy at all. Certainly and obviously would be able to not opt in to do this, if/when this comes about, too.

 

[WRChris]

Your info, if they use any kind of modern EMR software, is almost certainly on a central server somewhere and not in his/her office. And I think Apple has a pretty good track record handling sensitive info, which would be encrypted. We've seen what intelligence officials have had to do to even try to unlock the home screen of a terrorist's phone...not easy at all. Certainly and obviously would be able to not opt in to do this, if/when this comes about, too.

Yeah I know, I'll be able to opt out. Still think it's an unnecessary risk to have that info stored on you at all times.

My doctor is old school, but I'm sure you are right about it being on a server somewhere. I wasn't talking about remote security though, I meant on device security. You can think the gov hacked the iPhone 5 and didn't go any further, I don't believe that. And that was 1 company contracted to hack 1 device. I doubt that hacking into an iPhone is as hard as they propped it up to be(have to justify the $1,000,000 price that company charged). Security patches also stop as the phone gets older.

I would imagine some older people don't even have pass codes on their phones.

 

[IJ Reilly]

The point is this helps when you have multiple doctors throughout life, such as when you move, need a specialist, etc. and they aren't all on the same system. It also allows you to easily port your records to a new doctor without it becoming an ordeal.

As for the security, I can only imagine it would be strong enough for HIPAA compliance.

This, and also when you land in a hospital without your medical records and they have to figure out a whole lot about your condition that they could know within minutes of your admission. All of your medical records should be accessible to everyone who is treating you but since that is never going to happen in the chaotic U.S. system this might be the next best thing.

 

[stevie grant]

I don't know about everyone else, but I'm not comfortable with gorillas -- regardless of their education -- having access to my medical info.

 

[WRChris]

This, and also when you land in a hospital without your medical records and they have to figure out a whole lot about your condition that they could know within minutes of your admission. All of your medical records should be accessible to everyone who is treating you but since that is never going to happen in the chaotic U.S. system this might be the next best thing.

If you come in to the hospital and not responding, how does this help get them the info? They are still going to identify you by your id and from there search for your medical records in their database. There should be a unified database for all health providers, if this is a step in that direction, then that is great.

I'm not trying to argue that this will be useful to some for changing doctors or going to a specialist(even though you were probably recommended to go to that specialist by your family doctor) but it's still a bad idea to carry medical records on you.

 

[Glassed Silver]

Personally, I trust my iPhone/Apple over my doctor's office as far as encryption and security go.

Your doctor has and needs them anyways though, all that you do here is create an ADDITIONAL point of entry, albeit it may be more secure per your estimation, which is well possible.

Glassed Silver:ios

 

[69Mustang]

There's a lot of what if's and I think's in this thread. For those truly interested, start with their FAQ. Then maybe peruse their Privacy Policy. The info is not all encompassing, but it's a far cry better than assuming things that may or may not be true.

tl;dr The data is stored on Amazon’s HIPAA compliant infrastructure. Apple is specifically mentioned in their privacy policy:
APPLE HEALTH, HEALTHKIT

• Health Gorilla will not use or disclose to third parties data gathered in the health, fitness, and medical research context—including from the HealthKit API, Motion and Fitness, or health-related human subject research—for advertising or other use-based data mining purposes other than improving health management, or for the purpose of health research, and then only with permission.
• Health Gorilla will not write false or inaccurate data into HealthKit or any other medical research or health management apps, and may not store personal health information in iCloud.

 

[jclo]

If you come in to the hospital and not responding, how does this help get them the info? They are still going to identify you by your id and from there search for your medical records in their database. There should be a unified database for all health providers, if this is a step in that direction, then that is great.

I'm not trying to argue that this will be useful to some for changing doctors or going to a specialist(even though you were probably recommended to go to that specialist by your family doctor) but it's still a bad idea to carry medical records on you.

I don't see how having your medical records accessible on a secure, locked device is a bad idea or any worse than having them available via some online hospital database. I have medical records from at least two different sources that I can access online -- it'd be a lot simpler to have them available in the Health app in an easily readable format than it is to get them from the online databases.

I think there are a lot of people out there who may not even know how to access their medical records online, or may have to go to multiple places to do so. Imagine if you could verify your identify and then quickly connect with the doctors who have treated you and get all of that info on your iPhone. It'd be simpler, and it's so valuable (and important) to have easy access to your own health data.

 

[needsomecoffee]

Medical Records: so much to say... The Veterans system (yeah those guys) developed what is probably the best MR system (certainly in the US, likely tops WW), made it open source, and it is great. That's why when Obamacare was enacted the VA system was specifically detailed as an option THAT COULD NOT BE CONSIDERED by hospitals implementing electronic MR. So color me jaded when reading stories like these in which iPhone band-aids are applied over the mish-mash-mess of inter-care provider eMR systems setup so as to appease the folks on K Street.

 

[swingerofbirch]

That was shockingly easy to sign up for.

They had four security questions, all of which would be answered with a bit of Google searching. They're using information to confirm your identity that are in the same databases you can pay to get access to online (past addresses etc).

 

[WRChris]

I don't see how having your medical records accessible on a secure, locked device is a bad idea or any worse than having them available via some online hospital database. I have medical records from at least two different sources that I can access online -- it'd be a lot simpler to have them available in the Health app in an easily readable format than it is to get them from the online databases.

I think there are a lot of people out there who may not even know how to access their medical records online, or may have to go to multiple places to do so. Imagine if you could verify your identify and then quickly connect with the doctors who have treated you and get all of that info on your iPhone. It'd be simpler, and it's so valuable (and important) to have easy access to your own health data.

If you had to enter a passcode or use touchid to open the health app, then yes, that does sound pretty good. That would prevent someone from getting in someone's unlocked phone and viewing their medical history(prescriptions?).

 

[fourthtunz]

Health Gorilla? Where do the people live who make these crap names up?
Is this a lost in translations thing? English a second language?
Cause Health Gorilla is a horrible name!

 

[mi7chy]

Apple can't even protect people's private pictures from leaking all over the internet so I doubt they can entrusted with people's health data.

 

[MacPioneer]

I'm all for this. My provider, Mass General, uses a system called Patient Gateway to give me access to my medical records - test results, upcoming appointments, messages from my doctor, etc. The UI isn't the greatest, but it works. I get an automatic email whenever anything is updated or added, so I can log in and see the details.

My wife is in the early stages of Alzheimer's and I have her medical power-of-attorney, so I access her information the same way. It would be very important to me that any iPhone app support multiple patients.