Behind Apple's Researchkit

Researchkit has everyone talking in the healthcare industry. Apple’s new clinical research software is an open-source software framework designed for both medical and health researchers to create apps to be used by researchers and patients in studies. The software’s apps will be able to take data, such as blood pressure, weight, information on a patient’s asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or cancer, and share it with doctors and researchers. Apple plans to release Researchkit in April.  

Researchkit currently contains five new apps for various studies and medical conditions. These include heart disease, asthma, breast cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease. Patients can choose whether or not they want to participate as well as which information they would like to share with doctors or researchers.

mPower - Parkinson’s disease

The mPower app uses sensors to measure and monitor a patient’s symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The app will be able to track the condition’s associated tremors, a patient’s memory, balance, gait, and vocal characteristics. Researchers will collect data from the app’s surveys that patients will fill out.

Share the Journey - Breast cancer

The Share the Journey app will use sensors and data from patient surveys to track a patient’s mood, fatigue, decline in physical activity, sleep disturbances, and cognitive changes. The goal of this app is to delve deeper into length of breast cancer survival, variation in breast cancer symptoms, and how they can be improved.

GlucoSuccess - Diabetes

GlucoSuccess is an app for people with diabetes. The app’s goal is to understand how certain factors such as physical activity, diet, medications, and what people eat affects a patient’s blood glucose levels. The app will be helpful for patients because by monitoring these elements, they can make better choices about what they eat and how much they exercise in order to improve their blood glucose level. Ultimately, patients will be able to better manage their diabetes.

Asthma Health app – Asthma

The Asthma Health app will help people with asthma learn about and monitor their condition. It will track a patient’s asthma symptoms and determine what might be fueling those symptoms. Patients will be able to keep better track of their treatment plan.

MyHeart Counts - Heart disease

MyHeart Counts is for people with heart disease and will evaluate their physical activity and risk factors. Researchers will collect data from patient surveys which will be used to assess how those factors are affecting the patient’s heart health. Researchers hope people will use this app as a way to be move involved in their health.