Apple is conducting a new study called the Apple Health Study in collaboration with Brigham and Women's Hospital, marking its first significant health research project since 2019.
Starting Tuesday, Apple customers in the US can opt in to participate in the Apple Health Study by downloading Apple's Research app, version 6.0, which has been updated to facilitate enrollment. The focus of the Apple Health Study will be on US citizens who meet the age criteria and complete the informed consent process.
The Apple Health Study is a new long-term project designed to explore how data from its devices like iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches can help monitor and predict changes in users' health, including advancing physical health, mental health, and overall well-being.
"We've only just begun to scratch the surface of how technology can improve our understanding of human health," said Dr. Calum MacRae, the principal investigator of the study. Participants in the Apple Health Study can perform tasks and ask questions, as well as read research, and in addition to data captured in the Health app, researchers will be able to distribute questionnaires to participants, TechRadar reports.
The Apple Health Study aims to measure overall health issues and takes a holistic view of wellness, exploring connections across health aspects, including cardiovascular health, mental health, and sleep. "The Apple Health Study will detail how health data collected through metrics, whether from Apple devices or others, can be better used," MacRae said.
Participation in the Apple Health Study is entirely voluntary, and participants can choose exactly what data they do and don't share, including which data types they want to share with researchers. Participants in the Apple Health Study can withdraw from the study and stop data sharing at any time.
The study will analyze how data from Apple devices, including iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches, can be used to track and manage participants' health metrics, such as sleep, heart and respiration rates, and activity levels. The study examines the correlation between health factors, such as the impact of mental health on heart rate, and aims to determine how Apple products play a role in improving overall wellbeing.
"Research and validation are part of the foundation of all of our work in health, supporting the innovative features we bring to our users across devices," said Sumbul Desai, Apple's Vice President of Health. The Apple Health Study builds on previous studies, including the Apple Heart and Movement Study, the Apple Women's Health Study, and the Apple Hearing Study, which had a combined total of about 420,000 participants.
"The valuable insights we've gained since launching the Research app have allowed us to bring innovative new tools to our users—including the Vitals app on Apple Watch and Walking Steadiness on iPhone—and surface new insights in areas of health that have long been undervalued, like menstrual and hearing health," said Desai.
The data collected from these studies paved the way for new iPhone health features, and Apple uses research studies to inform decisions about product features based on scientific evidence, noting that the new health study would also inform future product development.
Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, has often said he believes health technologies could become one of the company's most important contributions to the world, Mashable India notes. Apple is not planning to slow down its focus on Health and Fitness anytime soon, as it continues to expand its subscription service subscribers in the health space, "[We] are excited to be part of the Apple Health Study, as it will continue to explore connections across different areas of health using technology that so many people carry with them every day," said MacRae.
Apple's Research app launched in 2019 and is getting a significant update. Research app version 6.0 includes "additional tasks within the Apple Women's Health Study that explore menopause," according to 9to5Mac. Users who opt in to the study will contribute their data and answer periodic survey questions about their at-home life and habits, allowing researchers to explore the connections between all areas of well-being.
Apple says it hopes to help tackle one of the biggest issues with medical research: limited numbers of participants and data. Apple wants to give users full transparency on who can access their health data. According to Apple, the Apple Health Study won't store contact information or share sensitive data, ensuring participants' privacy is respected throughout the study.
Apple devices expand the possibilities of medical research, providing data users can bring to their doctor for diagnosis. The convenience of an integrated heart rate sensor will reportedly arrive on the AirPods family in the future. It remains to be seen when Apple's Health Study will bear fruit.
Apple's Research app is available in the App Store for the iPhone and Apple Watch.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.