Duke and Stanford Begin Patient Trials With Apple's HealthKit Service

[smithrh]

This is all nice, however the problem here is that this would be truly revolutionary if it was used at scale. I suspect that this will only be used by a select few Hospitals / Doctor practices. I dont expect to be able to use this with my local doctor anytime soon.

Sure you will.

You'll print out a copy of your readings, and they'll dutifully scan it into their system and never look at it again.

 

[ksnell]

The healthcare system is a hugely complicated mess, so it's interesting to see that Apple apparently sees more opportunity here than in TV.

Oddly enough, probably less barriers here than TV for now.

 

[mrgraff]

I believe that an iPhone is required to use the new Apple Watch.

An Apple Watch is also required, so given the absence of any Apple Watches...

 

[kenroberts83]

Sure you will.

You'll print out a copy of your readings, and they'll dutifully scan it into their system and never look at it again.

Sounds like the military. Somehow the transfer of data from one computerized system to another computerized system involves paper, usually multiple copies.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

Since Apple had had talks with FDA, one wonders if the iPhone is going to have to be cleared as a medical device if it's going to measure things like blood glucose levels.


As far as gathering your personal medical info, that's fraught with tons of peril.

EDIT: The app measuring those levels would have to cleared, not the phone itself. FDA has has no intention of regulatory general use products like iPhones, iPads, computers, etc., since the manufacturers of those products won’t market the product as a medical device.

I think Dexcom would make the sensor (I use them, and love it!), and the phone would be the monitor, and store the BG readings every 5 minutes like the 7 does now. It'd be nice to have one less medical device in my pocket, and when I go to the doctor, just NFC the data to them.

I hope Animas is doing the same with their pumps.

For the peril part, the data needs to be stored where there is no way, except by overt permission (TouchID?) it is transmitted to the doctor. The API needs to ensure that, and if the phone is wiped, that area gets wiped first, and overwritten several times. The other thing is backup of your phone... What happens when you get a new phone and you want the data there? I'm thinking mandatory password protection on that part.

One more thing I worry about: integrity of the data between apps. There must be a way that only that app can touch the health data; only Dexcom can touch Dexcom data, and only Animas or Minimed can touch their own respective data, unless (and only unless) explicit permission is given. Imagine if Fred's Funky Software didn't have permission, but altered the medical data in subtle ways, or there was doubts as to the integrity of the data, and doctors made medical decisions based on the idea that the data was intact? That is a troubling thought, and why clinical trials are needed, and an "iron wall" around the medical data.

If hackers are willing to exploit people with their pasts (pay us $100 or we'll put your mug shots up all over the internet) imagine what they'll do with "pay is $1,000 or we'll screw with your medical data. I noticed your blood sugar was high on 12/15 at 5 pm; we can make it normal... Just take a look at it now."

As for the trials, sign me up!

 

[SusanK]

They should have given the patients an Apple Watch instead of iPod Touch. Seems like that would have been a better beta test.

Also, I know Tim is very interested in fitness. But I wonder how much of this HealthKit push was driven by what happened to Steve Jobs, who probably wouldn't have died if he had more accurate information about his health early on (and had taken appropriate action).

I read someplace that Steve considered the patient's hospital unit primitive. Don't remember where I read that. Who knows if it was true. Patient areas leave much to be desired IMHO.

As to Steve's diagnosis, it's a very difficult one. Earlier intervention may have resulted in a different prognosis but that is all speculation.

 

[8CoreWhore]

"HealthKit removes some of the error from patients' manually entering their data."

"patients, who will be sent home with an iPod touch and instructed to enter blood sugar levels in between doctor visits."

So instead of manually entering the data on paper, they are manually entering into an iPod Touch - and subject to a tiny keyboard and Autocorrect - instead of getting the data, it'll enter, "I'm on my way!"

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They should have given the patients an Apple Watch instead of iPod Touch. Seems like that would have been a better beta test.

Also, I know Tim is very interested in fitness. But I wonder how much of this HealthKit push was driven by what happened to Steve Jobs, who probably wouldn't have died if he had more accurate information about his health early on (and had taken appropriate action).

The Watch does not have a blood sugar lancet, er, um, sensor, so it would be of no use.

I recall the rumors talking about the Watch measuring blood sugar, blood pressure, oxygen saturation - but it does none of that - only heart rate.

So, health kit only replaces apps that allowed people to enter data manually or connect the phone to all kinds of medical equipment. It consolidates those other apps, most of which were buggy. But anyway, the watch only does HRM, and we have to hope it's accurate - I'm not looking forward to Heart Gate.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

"HealthKit removes some of the error from patients' manually entering their data."

"patients, who will be sent home with an iPod touch and instructed to enter blood sugar levels in between doctor visits."

So instead of manually entering the data on paper, they are manually entering into an iPod Touch - and subject to a tiny keyboard and Autocorrect - instead of getting the data, it'll enter, "I'm on my way!"

----------



The Watch does not have a blood sugar lancet, er, um, sensor, so it would be of no use.

I recall the rumors talking about the Watch measuring blood sugar, blood pressure, oxygen saturation - but it does none of that - only heart rate.

So, health kit only replaces apps that allowed people to enter data manually or connect the phone to all kinds of medical equipment. It consolidates those other apps, most of which were buggy. But anyway, the watch only does HRM, and we have to hope it's accurate - I'm not looking forward to Heart Gate.

The Dexcom 7 has a sensor, which, instead of transmitting to their proprietary receiver, could be programmed to transmit to the iPhone instead, also, the iPhone could be used to gather data, instead of proprietary finger stick measurement collection hubs, like Johnson & Johnson measurement types.

 

[macs4nw]

…..Personally, I'm at a fairly high level of unease about the ramifications behind all of this. I can't really put my finger on why, but overall there seems to be a potential for abuse.

I couldn't agree more. This 'juggernaut' is coming, whether we like it or not, and admittedly, there are many great advantages to it, to be sure.

It's the flow of all that private and confidential data that continues to worry me.

 

[imronburgundy]

Sign me up

I'm just curious how I get signed up for this. As a type 1 diabetic, I would gladly test this out in order to have continuous monitoring available to me on my phone. Guess I need to see a doctor at Stanford.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Profit margins are certainly better in healthcare and as you say, there's a lot more to be done there than reinventing something that sort of works OK right now, like TV.

A slice of health care would definitely be more lucrative, but the irony is Apple has spent many years trying to improve TV without any real success. This tells me TV is an even bigger hairball than health care, and that says a lot!

 

[Keirasplace]

A slice of health care would definitely be more lucrative, but the irony is Apple has spent many years trying to improve TV without any real success. This tells me TV is an even bigger hairball than health care, and that says a lot!

The problem with TV is that its too easy to make an half assed solution that people will buy. Finding an angle you can sell your product with, a real need or a new need, that's hard.

Currently, its the content productiong and distribution side that's getting a real shakedown; not sure how Apple being involved will make a real difference?

I think when Homekit is fully devellopped and the Watch is out, we will we see something emerging.

Another issue with TV is that's profit margin on the hardware side is very low; all the profit is on the content side.

Health has high margins and despite being a massive expenditure in most people's budget, it barely has been integrated in the day to day lives of people. If Apple can bridge this space they can make a mint.

 

[Daalseth]

Regardless - they can only improve the sector as health IT is abysmal.

Before I left the US I was at my HMO. They had been bragging about their new high tech medical tracking system., Everything from Dr. reports to dental X-Rays was stored digitally and accessible from anywhere in the system. The Dr. left me alone in the exam room for a while and, being an IT geek, I took a look. It was Windows based. I called up IE and got directly on the web. I looked around and noticed their was no anti-virus/anti malware/security package anywhere to be found. I closed out and resumed my seat. The Dr. returned, brought up the HMOs custom app and logged in with his name in clear text and 123456.

Last week I was at my Dr.'s office where I live now. Their system is more secure but they just stay logged in all the time. I noticed the previous patient's record up on the screen as I waited.

So much for security. Anything Apple comes up with HAS to be better than what's out there now.

 

[leesmith2]

I can honestly say the health aspect of the Apple presentation was what got me the most excited. Seems kind of silly, but it has a lot of potential.

And it's the lack of it that disappointed me about the Watch presentation.

 

[IJ Reilly]

The problem with TV is that its too easy to make an half assed solution that people will buy. Finding an angle you can sell your product with, a real need or a new need, that's hard.

It's more the cat herding aspect of TV that makes solutions so difficult, really. The current delivery systems are too entrenched and the content creations side too fragmented.

 

[Robert.Walter]

They should have given the patients an Apple Watch instead of iPod Touch. Seems like that would have been a better beta test.

Also, I know Tim is very interested in fitness. But I wonder how much of this HealthKit push was driven by what happened to Steve Jobs, who probably wouldn't have died if he had more accurate information about his health early on (and had taken appropriate action).

Steve won the lottery of early health warning; while looking for something else, hi doctor stumbled upon his cancer while it was still very early.

Steve ignored the subsequent recommendations until it was too late.

 

[3282868]

There was a news post that Google is working with contact lens to monitor glucose. Check this link - http://tinyurl.com/kgesrob This would be an awesome technology.

Thank you! Been a type 1 diabetic since 12 (my father was since age 6, genetics, go figure). I test ~20 times a day and take ~10 shots based on my weight lifting/gym routine and intake, A1C's ~5.5, keep myself in prime shape. Would be amazing to have a constant read 24/7 (my Medtronic pump does this but cumbersome). Non-invasive meters have been tested for years with the same error range as traditional meters, but that would mean loss of sales in strips, glucose meters (why do you think so many are "free"? they hook you on the strips), etc. Hope Apple gives the pharmaceutical industry the finger and makes it happen.

 

[JeffyTheQuik]

The Dr. returned, brought up the HMOs custom app and logged in with his name in clear text and 123456.

That's the same password as on my luggage!

The doctor I go to has two factor authentication, where, as long as their ID stays in the reader, and they enter the Password, they're logged in. Pull the badge out, logout ensues.

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I'm just curious how I get signed up for this. As a type 1 diabetic, I would gladly test this out in order to have continuous monitoring available to me on my phone. Guess I need to see a doctor at Stanford.

Ditto, but Dexcom and Minimed already have CGM, just not on the iPhone. If someone wants to see my blood sugars, hey, go for it.

 

[randian]

What are all the vital parameters HealthKit can track? I can't find any info on that.

 

[carlgo]

There are dogs that can sniff out cancer, so you could probably have a sensor to do that.

People will be terrified to look at their watches.

 

[Morgenland]

Apple meets Abbott for Glucose Monitoring?

Look at the new Abbott Flash Device. I hope, Apple Watch will use it's NFC to replace Abbots ugly Reader Device. The day it will happen will be a increadible success for diabetic therapy.
I hope to be the winner.

 

[Born Again]

Healthkit was all hype and little functionality . Seriously apple what happened to you?

You can't implement software very well . Just give it up already and focus on hardware .