When Apple launched ResearchKit more than a year ago, the promise was to allow people from all over the world to participate in studies for medical research via iPhones and other Apple devices. At the time, the company made clear it was not in the business of collecting medical and research data from users — that was between the subjects and the researcher (mostly hospitals and universities).
Now that’s changing.
Two apps have updated their fine-print details to include Apple itself as a “secondary” researcher. Mole Mapper, an app from Oregon Health & Science University that tracks skin moles to help prevent melanoma, and the mPower Research App for Parkinson’s now list the tech giant as a third party that can receive medical data from study participants.
While the move may sound alarming on the surface — why would Apple want access to medical research data? — it’s a part of an effort for the company to learn how the iPhone’s built-in technology plays a role in these app-based studies. Ultimately, Apple told Mashable it wants to see how advancements its own hardware could improve studies moving forward.
“We’ve learned a lot about the powerful role iPhone and Apple Watch can play in medical research and we know there’s even more we can do,” an Apple spokesperson told Mashable. “For certain ResearchKit studies, Apple will be listed as a researcher, receiving data from participants who consent to share their data, so we can participate with the larger research community in exploring how our technology could improve the way people manage their health.”
The shared data will remain encrypted and be anonymized — stripped of personal information such as names and locations. It will then be stored on Apple’s secure servers, the company said. Apple also provides more details about ResearchKit’s privacy policy on its website.
iPhone hardware like the front-facing camera and accelerometer are usually associated with selfies and gaming, but they also play a big role in screening and monitoring diseases for ResearchKit. For example, Mole Mapper uses the iPhone’s camera to track a moles based on measurement, location and monitoring over time. Meanwhile, the Parkinson’s app takes advantage of the iPhone’s microphone, gyroscope and accelerometer to collect and track health and symptoms.
The company said it selected those two apps based on recommendations from its in-house engineers specifically tasked to those hardware features. It’s also interested in looking at touchscreen-focused data in the future, too — a feature the Parkinson’s app already utilizes (it analyzes how rapidly users tap their fingers in succession on the screen).
Similar to what’s in place now, people who participate in ResearchKit studies within the corresponding apps will have two layers of opt-in: First, they’ll need to authorize the primary researchers (the hospital/university), and then they can choose whether or not to share with secondary researchers (including Apple). Once consent is given, it can also be revoked at any time.
The apps are considered research projects, so there shouldn’t be any regulatory implications for Apple right now. Because the apps are not actually diagnosing anything, Apple doesn’t run up against any regulatory issues with the U.S. Drug and Food Administration (FDA). However, Apple said it will continue to have an open dialogue with the FDA if ResearchKit evolves into new territory.
The move echoes Apple COO Jeff Williams’ comments earlier this month about how ResearchKit is evolving beyond its original intention. While the company first believed allowing developers to create app tools for medical studies would be the end of its role, it realized the results could be used for more than just research, including condition tracking.
The move echoes Apple COO Jeff Williams’ comments earlier this month about how ResearchKit is evolving beyond its original intention. While the company first believed allowing developers to create app tools for medical studies would be the end of its role, it realized the results could be used for more than just research, including condition tracking.
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Source: Mashable