Apple Ships Health Records API to Developers

In this present health conscious world, even technology is contributing its due share towards a healthy World. Lately, at the Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple announced that it has opened its Health Records application programming interface (API) to developers. Earlier in the present year itself, Apple introduced Health Records which in partnership with more than 500 hospitals and clinics and making use of Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, was able to gather patients encrypted health data from multiple health care providers directly to their phones. By sharing the Health Records API or set of protocols that enables software to communicate, the developers will be able to build third-party apps that have a capacity to interact with Health Records. In case if the users opt in, they will be able to share their health records with a trusted third-party app. The app shall track a patient’s diabetes, medication schedule (with refill reminders), or nutrition requirements. Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer commented that this step shall enable the incredible community of developers and researchers, consumers to personalize their health needs with the apps they use on a day to day basis. This concept is totally secure and safe. Apple’s Health Records are encrypted on the user’s iPhone and are enabled with password protection. Users should make sure that they opt in to sharing records with a third-party app, and the Health Records are never transferred to an Apple server. There must be a direct flow of information from the user’s phone to a third party app.

By: Anuja Arora

Source: http://fortune.com/2018/06/05/apple-opening-health-records-api-developers/