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According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Apple has considered setting up an in-house medical service. According to the Journal, the company was exploring options for how the Apple Watch could be used to improve healthcare.
This project was already discussed in 2016, but was apparently put on hold, partly because Apple was only able to implement a similar project for its own employees to a limited extent. Apple COO Jeff Williams had apparently tasked his team with finding ways to overhaul the traditional healthcare system, in which patients only go to the doctor when they notice health problems. The plan presented was to offer a healthcare service that combines virtual and personal care from Apple doctors, supplemented by continuous health monitoring through the customer's Apple Watch and iPhone. According to the report, Apple used the employee clinics near Apple Park as a test bed for the project. However, the project has not progressed very far in the meantime. The Journal reportedthat some employees have criticized the accuracy of the data collected in the clinics.
Apple responds to Wall Street Journal article
In response to the post, an Apple representative said that many of the claims are "based on incomplete, outdated, and inaccurate information." To date, Apple has made a valuable contribution to healthcare through sensors and data tracking on its devices. The company popularized heart rate monitoring, fall detection, and ECG features on the Apple Watch. It collects health and fitness data through the HealthKit database, which users can access through the Health app on iPhone and Apple Watch. At this year's WWDC, it unveiled a new "walking stability" measurement, as well as a way to share health data directly with doctors. Additionally, the Health app in iOS 15 can automatically notify users when it detects dramatic changes in long-term health data trends. (Photo by Denys Prykhodov / Bigstockphoto)
