With Apple’s CareKit Comes More Personal Info to Protect

Lost in all the news about Apple defending our right to privacy was the unveiling of Apple’s CareKit: “a framework to build apps that empower people to use data to understand their health,” according to Apple COO, Jeff Williams. As it turns out, the timing couldn’t have been more appropriate. With Apple devices poised to collect even more of our personal data, it’s easy to see why the company had added incentive to fight off the FBI.

Health Data Collection, Continued
CareKit, which launches this month, is not Apple’s first foray into collecting health data. Last year they launched ResearchKit, which has already helped make clinical studies more accessible, scalable, and efficient. And before that, there was HealthKit, which started us down the road of pooling personal health data from related apps.

Well Worth Fighting For
With so much data literally at our fingertips, CareKit could help bridge the gap between quantifying our health and acting on it. From guiding post-surgery patients through home care to providing actionable insight on managing the progression of a chronic condition, the potential could literally be life-changing. It seems Apple is not just fighting to defend our privacy; it’s fighting to defend progress.

Stay tuned for another article that will delve into some of the Pharma-specific implications of CareKit…