A new Apple tool dubbed CareKit slated to launch in April will enable developers and healthcare professionals to create new interactive healthcare-related apps, according to a news release from appleinsider.com.
CareKit is designed to work in tandem with Apple’s ResearchKit, which allows researchers to receive medical and healthcare data.
CareKit and ResearchKit are open source software platforms, although they are separate from each other.
Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams announced CareKit on March 21 at a new product announcement called “Loop you in.” He described CareKit as an extension of ResearchKit.
“What became clear to us later is that the very same tools used to advance medical research can also be used to help people with their care,” he said.
The CareKit platform will have four modules.
“Care Cards” feature interactive to-do lists designed to remind users to take medicine or complete tasks such as goal tracking and physical therapy exercises.
Users also will be able to record feedback via the Symptoms and Measurement Tracker; an example would be taking photos to document a wound healing.
The Insight Dashboard can be used to make sure treatment is effective by comparing the Care Cards to a person’s symptoms.
Finally, patients can share their data with their doctor through the Connect module.
Williams said that the possibilities are limitless.
You Might Also Enjoy: Smartphone Fitness Apps Popular in Efforts to Improve Health & Fitness
App Examples
An app has already been developed through the CareKit system that will be used to help Parkinson’s disease patients. Created by Safe Bionetworks and the University of Rochester, the app will enable users to track the effectiveness of their medication and exercise routines. According to an article in The Verge, the mobile app mPower had recruited more than 7,000 study participants in a few hours, a huge number compared to the previous largest Parkinson’s study, which was 1,700 participants.
Additionally, the Texas Medical Center has developed an app that creates a post-operation checklist for tracking patient symptoms and measuring range of motion.
At the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA, an app has been developed that can store data from home monitoring devices for patients with chronic health issues.
Possible Concerns
ResearchKit caused a stir by changing the ways people can contribute to studies. It did so “by opening up the study participant pool to anyone with an iPhone, as opposed to the traditional method of only recruiting people who live near a given institution,” Huffington Post wrote.
The Huffington Post article noted that while iPhone users mostly are wealthier than the general public, they also are more demographically diverse than the usual research participants – white males.
Overall though, this version of the CareKit is meant to help people manage their medical conditions in a safe, effective way.
According to the CareKit page, “Rather than relying solely on doctor visits, you will be able to regularly track your symptoms and medications, and even share the information with your care team for a bigger and better picture of your health.”
