Australia approves Apple Watch ECG function

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion
Australian health regulators have officially approved the use of the ECG function in Apple Watch, meaning users in the region may soon see the feature enabled.




Following the recent approval of the Apple Watch's irregular rhythm notification, local authorities have now listed the ECG feature on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).

"The ECG app is a software-only mobile medical application that is intended to be used with the Apple Watch to create, record, store, transfer and display a single-channel electrocardiagram (ECG) similar to a Lead I ECG," says the ARTG documentation, as first spotted by The 8-Bit.

"The ECG app determines the presence of atrial fibrillation (AF) or sinus rhythm on a classifiable waveform," it continues, before listing multiple limitations and conditions regarding the use of the feature.

"The ECG app is not recommended for users with other known arrythmias," it says. "The ECG app is intended for over-the-counter (OTC) use. The ECG data displayed by the ECG app is intended for informational use only. The user is not intended to interpret or take clinical action based on the device output without consultation with a qualified health professional."

It's over two years since Apple introduced the ECG into the Apple Watch, with US health approval. The feature has recently been updated, and health authorities around the world have been steadily adding their approval.

The ECG function requires an Apple Watch Series 4 or later, but the irregular rhythm notification works with any Watch running watchOS 5.1.2 or later.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    prokipprokip Posts: 178member
    Bloody finally !!

    Only taken them 2 and half years ... good friggin grief !
    JosephAUcaladanianlollivermattinozwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 12
    JosephAUJosephAU Posts: 43member
    About bloody time!! 
    lolliverwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 12
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,877member
    Australia sure has been in the news for various boneheaded IT endeavors (this delay, Apple Pay blockades, extorting pay-for-links, etc etc). What in the world is going on over there...
    edited March 2021
  • Reply 4 of 12
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,166member
    The problem is overzealous and escalating regulation. Rules for this, rules for that.  Gotta keep the peasants under the thumb. For their own good of course.

    the modern political problem of the west. As River Tan said:

    People don't like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think. Don't run, don't walk. We're in their homes and in their heads and we haven't the right. We're meddlesome.


    edited March 2021 beowulfschmidtwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 12
    phaseanglephaseangle Posts: 28member
    Don't blame the TGA every time reporters ask them they say they have not received an application from Apple for any products
    luke hamblyJosephAU
  • Reply 6 of 12
    luke hamblyluke hambly Posts: 28member
    entropys said:
    The problem is overzealous and escalating regulation. Rules for this, rules for that.  Gotta keep the peasants under the thumb. For their own good of course.

    the modern political problem of the west. As River Tan said:

    People don't like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think. Don't run, don't walk. We're in their homes and in their heads and we haven't the right. We're meddlesome.


    Not sure where your from but Australia has had 909 total COVID deaths and none since October. IF Apple applied for certification 2 years ago I’m ok that it wasn’t a priority. 


  • Reply 7 of 12
    martinxyzmartinxyz Posts: 98member
    JFC, it's AFT.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 12
    martinxyzmartinxyz Posts: 98member
    Don't blame the TGA every time reporters ask them they say they have not received an application from Apple for any products
    Unless Apple already knew there was no point submitting it until certain regulatory changes had been approved.
    edited March 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 12
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,316member
    StrangeDays said:
    Australia sure has been in the news for various boneheaded IT endeavors (this delay, Apple Pay blockades, extorting pay-for-links, etc etc). What in the world is going on over there...

    Graft, corruption and hypocritical sexual misconduct of the highest order.
    Slack-nanny-state is on full display.

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 12
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,166member
    entropys said:
    The problem is overzealous and escalating regulation. Rules for this, rules for that.  Gotta keep the peasants under the thumb. For their own good of course.

    the modern political problem of the west. As River Tan said:

    People don't like to be meddled with. We tell them what to do, what to think. Don't run, don't walk. We're in their homes and in their heads and we haven't the right. We're meddlesome.


    Not sure where your from but Australia has had 909 total COVID deaths and none since October. IF Apple applied for certification 2 years ago I’m ok that it wasn’t a priority. 

    Pretty sure the policy staff at the federal TGA have absolutely nothing to do with the COVID response, or state government roles such as the hotel quarantines, border restrictions, Pacific Islander schemes, lockdowns, special treatment for Hollywood celebrities, or VIcPol breakfast invasions of homes to arrest pregnant mothers for writing wrongthink on Facebook. And the denizens of the TGA, like most public servants, would have been able to carry on at full pay working from home with little trouble, and probably on the whole still are.  In fact many might argue they are more productive.
    I actually work as part of the Queensland Covid response, and it is amazing how many people blame delays or lack of availability of products on Covid that in reality has nothing to do with management of disease prevention (we don’t use “flatten the curve” anymore). But every time this is claimed, everyone nods, and goes “Ahh, fair enough.  Well you stay safe , mate!” And all is forgiven.

    In this case, the delay is the result of a convoluted federal regulation originally designed back in the Menzies era mainly as a competition impediment for the benefit of established local producers (sorry, for health and safety hah hah) , that as an unintended consequence means it takes forever for any novel new stuff to be get access to the Australian market, even if no one local makes it. But precautionary principle people! Minor amendments every decade or so followed.
    The problem regulation was finally, finally changed after several years of “consultation” last month, and with the ancient impediment removed, hey presto Apple is in teh bidness!

    edited March 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 12
    laytechlaytech Posts: 335member
    Yay looking forward to this feature.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 12
    watto_cobrawatto_cobra Posts: 96member
    About bloody time. Now where is Apple Pay Cash and Apple Card ??? Come on you useless banks. 
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