Apple brings medical records to the iPhone

In breaking digital health news Wednesday, Apple has announced that it is launching a feature that will allow consumers to see their medical records right on their iPhone.

In a Jan. 24 announcement Apple said, “The updated Health Records section within the Health app brings together hospitals, clinics and the existing Health app to make it easy for consumers to see their available medical data from multiple providers whenever they choose. Johns Hopkins Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, Penn Medicine and other participating hospitals and clinics are among the first to make this beta feature available to their patients.”

Indeed, Apple is testing this feature out with 12 hospitals in all, inclusive of some of the most prominent healthcare institutions in the United States. Now, consumers will have medical information from various institutions organized into one view covering allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures and vitals, and will receive notifications when their data is updated. Health Records data is encrypted and protected with the user’s iPhone passcode, the company stated.