With the upcoming iOS 15, Apple has provided a glimpse of its new advanced consumer health and wellness features coming on the iPhone and Apple Watch.
Apple Watch Users Can Share Health Data With Loved Ones
In an Apple press release, the company said the iOS 15 would provide users the ability to securely share their health data with loved ones, or other important people in their lives. They can also receive health monitors of others, if they choose to share it.
New utilities are also available to identify, measure and understand changes in a person's health data. Apple's chief operating officer Jeff Williams said they are looking at "enabling...users to take an active role in their well-being." He pointed out that iOS 15 would offer a "comprehensive set of insights to better understand their health trends over time."
Apple Watch Health Tracking: More Enhancements Coming
The feature builds on current ones in the Health app on the Apple Watch, such as heart rate alert notifications which has helped a lot in monitoring fluctuations that would indicate possible issues and need immediate action, Tech Crunch noted in a post.
Likewise, there would be more enhancements coming to the Apple Watches, such as body temperature and blood glucose sensors, eMarketer reported. And with WatchOS 8, the Apple Watch could also detect the user's respiratory rate, or the number of breaths per minute as they sleep.
Read also: Apple iOS 15 Beta Download: Supported Devices and How to Download Developer and Public Betas
As mentioned, users can opt to share their health data securely to their trusted partner or loved one, enabling helpful discussions and support in addressing their health conditions, even if the person is at a different location.
Using the Health app, a Sharing tab allows users to privately disclose data to that person, who could be the spouse, relative, or even a caregiver. Apple said the user has full control over the data they share and with whom they share it. A user could be an elderly parent who would share their heart rate trends in real time and activities with a close family member, or a person afflicted with Parkinson's Disease who needs to share their mobility data with a medical practitioner, Apple mentioned. Users can also track the fertility insights of their partners using the app.
For people receiving these data, the information is shown emphasizing the important highlights and what needs action right away.
Apple Watch Data Can Be Shared With Physicians, Health Providers
Users can also share important data with their physician without having to remember all the details as you make that clinic visit. In the U.S., users can opt to share their heart rate, hours of sleep, detected falls, or even exercise time, to allow helpful conversations with their doctor. The physician can then review the data that the user shared with the health provider or institution's electronic health records system.
While using the Health app, users can also track the changes in their data over time, using Trends that highlights significant changes while presenting information that is easy to comprehend. In addition, Trends could highlight long-term changes in the user's health, so they can celebrate a particular fitness milestone, or need to consult a doctor for possible treatment.
Another important feature is the industry first Walking Steadiness, which offers insight into fall risk while tracking movements and surface classifications, such as OK, Low or Very Low, as users walk with their device. With this feature, users can take proactive action to lessen the risk of falling.
