Just about everyone can agree that having one’s medical records within easy reach is a pretty good idea. But considering those records are usually filed (either physically or digitally) in the doctor’s office or at medical centers, getting to them can be a tricky thing to achieve. Apple, however, wants to make things a little easier.
This week, the tech giant has revealed that it will be including a new feature in its upcoming iOS 11.3 update. Called the Health Records feature, it will basically retrieve a patient’s medical record, including his or her list of allergies, conditions, history of vaccination and immunizations, laboratory results, types of medications taken, procedures undergone, and vitals.
What is so cool about the new Health Records feature on iOS is that it also comes with a notification process, which lets the patient know that his or her medical record has recently been updated. Moreover, at the onset, Health Records will be made available to patients at a dozen medical providers (more on this later).
Apple has always advocated for making people’s medical history more accessible, ideally through their smartphones, tablets, or even wearable devices. While it is true that iOS, the tech giant’s super popular mobile operating system, already has built in health and fitness features, the upcoming Health Records feature will serve as a quick and easy means for collating, updating, and retrieving patient’s medical data.
As for those worried about keeping their medical history private and safe, they might be delighted to know that any information access through the Health Records feature will be encrypted and protected by the Apple device’s passcode.
As soon as an early beta of iOS 11.3 rolled out soon, the patients of the following medical providers will be able to have access to the Health Records feature:
The upcoming release of iOS 11.3 will also bring a feature that will allow iPhone owners to deactivate the software that is slowing down old iPhone models, a new set of animoji options, and improvements to ARKit, the augmented reality (AR) platform developed by Apple.
