Apple Releases Research App With 3 Different Health Studies

Image via Apple 

Apple launches 3 new studies in the Research app, which include Apple Women’s Health Study, Apple Heart, and Movement Study and the Apple Hearing Study. Users use the iPhone and Apple Watch’s microphone, motion sensors, heart rate sensor, and app data to provide information for these health studies. These studies are multi-yearlong and provide surveys and tasks for iPhone and Apple Watch users to collect data for these medical research studies. These studies are done by Apple and many health institutions.

First of all, the Apple Women’s Health Study is the first long-term study to better understand female menstrual cycles and how they are applied to women’s health. This study has the objective to advance the research of menstrual cycles and many reproductive health conditions in women, including polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, osteoporosis, and menopause. The study is conducted at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Next off, the Apple Heart and Movement Study measures the heart and motion data collected by the Apple Watch to better influence the research of heart health and mobility. Apple Watch users can use the Research app on their iPhone to collect data by recording workouts from their Apple Watch, checking on their heart rate and taking their ECGs. The study is conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the American Heart Association.

Ultimately, the Apple Hearing Study will collect data based on headphone audio levels and environmental sound levels in the Noise app on Apple Watch Series 4 and 5. The study is conducted by the University of Michigan and the data will also be shared with the WHO (World Health Organization). This will help better understand the changes and behaviors it causes to people being exposed to noisy and loud environments.

Hence, users participating in the surveys can also decide what type of data they want to share with the studies, thanks to the privacy standards Apple puts into the Research app. All users have to sign a detailed consent that explains how data will be released to these health studies. The Research app is available on iPhone with iOS 13.2.2 in the App Store.