The Apple Watch collects a lot of health information on us, like the steps we take, calories burnt, and also critical information like heart rate, ECG data, and more recently blood oxygen levels. This data is important because it can give doctors clues into our lives and our health that might not be available otherwise.
So much so that according to a report from the Wall Street Journal, it appears that Apple had planned to setup their own primary care clinics staffed with their own doctors who would have access to Apple Watch data. The idea is that these doctors would be able to continuously monitor our health and would come in the form of a subscription service that would also include virtual and in-person care.
This project was said to have been led by Apple’s COO Jeff Williams who wanted to come up with a way to disrupt the traditional health industry, which is where people usually see doctors when something is wrong. Apple’s approach would have been more preventive than reactive. This project was started back in 2016 and has reportedly been tested out by Apple employees.
However, there is a chance that maybe the project could have been killed off since as there were reports by employees over the inaccuracy of the data. Apple has also responded to the article by saying that the report is “based on incomplete, outdated and inaccurate information.”
We can’t say with certainty which parts the WSJ got right and which they got wrong, but either it sounds intriguing anyway, albeit a bit invasive.
Filed in . Read more about Apple Watch, Health, Smartwatch and Wearable Tech. Source: 9to5mac