iPhone users have become accustomed to finding everything they need on their phone. You can check your email, download apps for almost anything, pay your bills, and even pay for in-store purchases.
With the addition of the Apple Health app, you were finally able to combine your various health-related apps into one, making health management easier than ever.
Thanks to the new beta feature in the Apple Health app, you can now access your medical records from multiple institutions anywhere, anytime.
Prior to this new feature, the Health app included patient-generated data (that’s you) about activity, sleep, mindfulness and nutrition, as well as the ability to add your own health records such as lab results and vital information . You can integrate third-party apps to help you track this data and get a holistic view of your health. Adding formal medical records to the Health app is the last piece of the puzzle.
apple intention
Over the years, health care institutions have tried to keep up with technology by giving patients access to their medical records through online portals. Unfortunately, due to a less pleasant user experience and lack of convenience, many patients don’t bother trying to log in and access their records. This not only limits knowledge about patients’ health but also creates challenges for health care providers when trying to manage coordination among other providers.
Adding health records to a tool that many of us use every day is Apple’s way of letting you take control of your health. By adding this missing ingredient to the already stellar Health app, Apple now makes it possible for you to see a complete picture of your overall health and track the actions you are taking to maintain or improve it.
how it works
The Health app easily consolidates all your health records into one timeline, regardless of how many institutions the records come from. You can view your lab results, vaccinations, prescriptions, important information, procedures, conditions and allergies at a glance from that little computer in your pocket. And what happens when new records become available? You will be notified directly on your iPhone. Of course, as expected, all this sensitive information is encrypted and protected with your iPhone passcode.
For people with ongoing health conditions and multiple providers, the ability to manage all this information in one place can have a big impact on quality of life. This not only allows you to stay on top of your health, but also allows you to share information with your provider. In minutes, you can pull out your phone and show your provider what prescription your other provider has ordered, or have your lab get results from a different clinic.
Apple has already added hundreds of hospitals and health systems to the list of participating health institutions, and the list continues to grow. Click here to see the full list and find out if your health care institution offers this new benefit. The first participants include Cedars-Sinai, Penn Medicine and Johns Hopkins Medicine.
the gain
Apple’s innovation isn’t just benefiting patients. Participating institutions are anticipating increased awareness and understanding of their patients to their patients, thereby creating a better patient experience.
Along with health care concerns, doctors are looking for ways to help their patients change unhealthy behavior before it leads to chronic conditions. Apple’s Health app has finally managed to provide patients with the all-in-one platform they need to manage their health. It may not be the solution to all the health problems of our country, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.
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