With iPhone & Apple Watch, Apple playing a key role in 'consumerization' of healthcare
With the iPhone an everyday part of millions of consumers' lives, and now the debut of the Apple Watch, healthcare professionals believe that Apple is a pivotal part in what they see as the "consumerization" of healthcare, driven by easy access to health-related data.
Investment firm Piper Jaffray this week hosted healthcare industry leaders at its Heartland Summit. Taking part in the Digital Health panel was Medtronic, Vivify Health, and UnitedHealth Group, which discussed the key role that Apple, as well as Google, play in the convergence of digital health and consumer devices.
Services like Apple's Health platform, and devices like the Apple Watch, make it easier to aggregate healthcare data in a cost effective way. This level of personal health tracking was not technically possible in the past, but is enabled by new hardware and software from major technology companies.
The panel concluded that while Apple is helping to drive healthcare toward consumerization, any company aggregating health data will face issues because of the high level of regulation in the industry. Companies creating wearable, health-tracking devices must stay away from medical diagnosis in order to avoid scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
As a result, the consensus on the panel was that healthcare companies remain necessary to optimize the data consumers opt to collect through their connected devices. Established healthcare companies will be the most likely to use this data in a meaningful way to manage populations and treat disease, they said.
Piper Jaffray believes that large medical technology companies will promote apps and services, like Apple's HealthKit and ResearchKit. But the majority of hardware purchases for devices like the Apple Watch will still come out of consumers' pockets, at least in the near term, the firm said.
But it does see a future where medical companies and care providers could purchase devices for home use to members and patients that do not already have one. Doing so could allow for early treatment and prevention of disease, potentially lowering costs to healthcare providers.
Apple announced ResearchKit as a companion to HealthKit earlier this year, and the program has gotten off to a tremendous success, enabling much larger medical trials than would have previously been possible. In one example, a Stanford University cardiovascular study gained more than 10,000 participants overnight.
"To get 10,000 people enrolled in a medical study normally, it would take a year and 50 medical centers around the country," said Alan Yeung, medical director of Stanford Cardiovascular Health. "That's the power of the phone."
Investment firm Piper Jaffray this week hosted healthcare industry leaders at its Heartland Summit. Taking part in the Digital Health panel was Medtronic, Vivify Health, and UnitedHealth Group, which discussed the key role that Apple, as well as Google, play in the convergence of digital health and consumer devices.
Services like Apple's Health platform, and devices like the Apple Watch, make it easier to aggregate healthcare data in a cost effective way. This level of personal health tracking was not technically possible in the past, but is enabled by new hardware and software from major technology companies.
The panel concluded that while Apple is helping to drive healthcare toward consumerization, any company aggregating health data will face issues because of the high level of regulation in the industry. Companies creating wearable, health-tracking devices must stay away from medical diagnosis in order to avoid scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
As a result, the consensus on the panel was that healthcare companies remain necessary to optimize the data consumers opt to collect through their connected devices. Established healthcare companies will be the most likely to use this data in a meaningful way to manage populations and treat disease, they said.
Piper Jaffray believes that large medical technology companies will promote apps and services, like Apple's HealthKit and ResearchKit. But the majority of hardware purchases for devices like the Apple Watch will still come out of consumers' pockets, at least in the near term, the firm said.
But it does see a future where medical companies and care providers could purchase devices for home use to members and patients that do not already have one. Doing so could allow for early treatment and prevention of disease, potentially lowering costs to healthcare providers.
Apple announced ResearchKit as a companion to HealthKit earlier this year, and the program has gotten off to a tremendous success, enabling much larger medical trials than would have previously been possible. In one example, a Stanford University cardiovascular study gained more than 10,000 participants overnight.
"To get 10,000 people enrolled in a medical study normally, it would take a year and 50 medical centers around the country," said Alan Yeung, medical director of Stanford Cardiovascular Health. "That's the power of the phone."
Comments
Cut refined sugar and refined carbs (white rice, white flour, ect)
That will do 100x more than a watch. I"m a fan of the watch but exercise is only 10% of losing weight. If you eat crap you will be unhealthy no matter how much you exercise.
Isn't it strange that we have more low fat and zero fat products than ever yet in the USA people are fatter than ever?
Isn't it strange that many ancient people ate a ton of carbs (non refined) and meat and butter and fat yet were not fat?
Isn't strange that refined sugar cost alot less to make than butter and milk fat?
Isn't strange that on food labels there isn't a recommened daily allowance for Sugar?
Isn't it strange that in the last 50 years the average refined sugar consumptions went up 100%?
Isn't it strange that refined sugar has the same physiclogical effects on the brain as cocaine (addictive)
The only reason why the FDA/government/media/corps have demonized healthy fat is because $$$.
They can sell us non-fat milk, yogurt, cookies for the same amount of $ as regular product.
Then replace the fat with cheap and ADDICTIVE corn-syrup.
Then sell the whole fat (the good stuff) to make cheese and make even more $$$.
Healthy FAT and CARBS are NOT the enemy.
Refined Sugar and artifical sweetiners are:
1. They increase you blood sugar and produce insulin which starts the fat storage cycle.
2. They are burnt and digested immediately = you get hungry really fast
3. They have close to ZERO nutritional value. Thus you get hungry REALLY fast because your body is telling you to eat MORE since you don't have the neccessary nutrients/vitamins/protiens/fats.
4. Extremely additive. Some scientist say Sugar is more addictive than cocaine. Try not eating refined sugar for 1 week.
5. Cheap as hell to produce and has an eternal shelf life. Is it any wonder the food corps are telling us to eat more fat free food (loaded with sugar) and less whole fat food?
6. Even though artifical sweetners have zero calories they make us HUNGERY!!!
7. The average American eats over 150 grams of refined sugar a day. We should be eating only 40-50 grams max. Those extra calories get stored to fat IMMEDIATELY. Those extra 100 grams a day equal 36,500 calories a day = 10 lbs of FAT a YEAR! No wonder we are getting fatter and fatter EVERY YEAR!
I hear you SOG....the American food manufacturers, if they could get away with it, would grind up old tires, put red food coloring on it and sell it as tomato sauce.
I used to say, "Processed food = high sugar content that creates chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation creates chronic diseases."
Now I just say, "Sugar feeds Cancer!"
Best.
Someone has watched Fed Up I believe. :-)
And I agree with you.
Wow! One of your better posts ever.
I'm glad that I live in a culture that still values cooking with fresh ingredients, whether at home, in a restaurant or a Bistro/Café. Also that we are able to get fresh locally grown produce and meat products where we can actually go to the fields and either see the pigs, chickens, and cows... or pick the produce ourselves from growers located just outside major metropolitan centers.
With that said, due to the economy many people have gravitated to the easy-cheap cooking, especially young families. As well as their children being bombarded by ads for said easy-cheap, sugar-coated, digestible waste-products making it difficult (but not impossible!) task of keeping their kids on a healthy diet rather than eating pizza, burgers and ice cream all of the time.
Sad... butHowever, I have noticed that more and more people are coming back to valuing organic fresh cooking and even eating less of some products so that they can eat quality (meat as an example).One point you missed in your list was the damage to entire eco-systems and natural habitats in Indonesia in the ever growing quest for more palm oil, which is found in just about everything from food, cosmetics, fuel, etc.
But again: great post!
Cut refined sugar and refined carbs (white rice, white flour, ect)
That will do 100x more than a watch. I"m a fan of the watch but exercise is only 10% of losing weight. If you eat crap you will be unhealthy no matter how much you exercise.
Isn't it strange that we have more low fat and zero fat products than ever yet in the USA people are fatter than ever?
Isn't it strange that many ancient people ate a ton of carbs (non refined) and meat and butter and fat yet were not fat?
Isn't strange that refined sugar cost alot less to make than butter and milk fat?
Isn't strange that on food labels there isn't a recommened daily allowance for Sugar?
Isn't it strange that in the last 50 years the average refined sugar consumptions went up 100%?
Isn't it strange that refined sugar has the same physiclogical effects on the brain as cocaine (addictive)
The only reason why the FDA/government/media/corps have demonized healthy fat is because $$$.
They can sell us non-fat milk, yogurt, cookies for the same amount of $ as regular product.
Then replace the fat with cheap and ADDICTIVE corn-syrup.
Then sell the whole fat (the good stuff) to make cheese and make even more $$$.
Healthy FAT and CARBS are NOT the enemy.
Refined Sugar and artifical sweetiners are:
1. They increase you blood sugar and produce insulin which starts the fat storage cycle.
2. They are burnt and digested immediately = you get hungry really fast
3. They have close to ZERO nutritional value. Thus you get hungry REALLY fast because your body is telling you to eat MORE since you don't have the neccessary nutrients/vitamins/protiens/fats.
4. Extremely additive. Some scientist say Sugar is more addictive than cocaine. Try not eating refined sugar for 1 week.
5. Cheap as hell to produce and has an eternal shelf life. Is it any wonder the food corps are telling us to eat more fat free food (loaded with sugar) and less whole fat food?
6. Even though artifical sweetners have zero calories they make us HUNGERY!!!
7. The average American eats over 150 grams of refined sugar a day. We should be eating only 40-50 grams max. Those extra calories get stored to fat IMMEDIATELY. Those extra 100 grams a day equal 36,500 calories a day = 10 lbs of FAT a YEAR! No wonder we are getting fatter and fatter EVERY YEAR!
I'm going to have to ingest some sugar after this post to make me feel better! /s
We've been making all our own baby food from fresh organic sources since our son was born. It takes a lot more time and effort, but we believe it will definitely pay off. I grew up on a small hobby farm where we grew our own vegetables, beef cattle, and chickens. We would sometimes trade eggs and other items for fresh milk from other local farmers. As an extra bonus, my parents got an old time hand-crank butter churn and we got to make fresh butter, lol.
I've never fallen for the no or low-fat craze nor the avoidance of high-cholesterol foods such as eggs. We drink whole organic milk (as does our now one year old), we buy fresh vegetables (going to local farmers markets when they finally arrive in summer), make our own pizza (not that hard, but does take a bit of planning to make and let the dough rise), use whole grains, etc. I've always preferred the natural ice creams like Breyers (although since they were bought out, many flavors are now "frozen dairy desserts" so you have to read labels).
As you pointed out, LOTS of places dump sugar and/or corn syrup into everything now, things you wouldn't expect. I think just about every part of the McDonalds burger has added sugar and/or corn syrup (bun, ketchup), it's absurd. Of course, fast food should be avoided whenever possible. I had to laugh when I saw an advertisement for the 20-pack of chicken McNuggets at McDonalds for $5. This is the same amount we pay for a whole roasted chicken at Costco. One is certainly much better than the other (although I'm sure Costco uses more salt than I would and likely there's added sugar in the marinade).
You've definitely called out the worst part of our new food supply, processing. Anything that's heavily processed is to be avoided. Of course, in 'Murica, convenience rules and all that convenience food is heavily processed.
I thought Apple's release of HealthKit was awesome when it was announced and am hoping it really can have a positive effect in disease/lifestyle research.
Yes, it is common sense, but many of us are not at a point in our lives where we have started to connect the dots.
I've lost over 60 lbs - had to work at it - started , over a year ago - that was b 4 I got my Apple Watch - it beats Fitbit hands down!
Now I'm aware that my lifestyle choices effect my health & healthcare costs.
Sure I still love a good pizza or Tubs Subs - makes subway taste like mcdonalds.
Right now I'm enjoying a working lunch with some really good Indian food - chicken smothered in cream based curry - delivered by a new or fairly new start up called 'peachd'.https://www.peachd.com/
Everyone has a starting point & if it takes the purchase of an Apple Watch to jump start their motivation or whatever for them to make changes in their eating or lives or whatever habit then - I will say 'well done'.
Some are young/older, lean or athletic and have heart attacks, and other medical events that no Apple Watch or devise can prevent.
But if awareness is the starting point then big things might happen in their lives.
Consumerization of health car ACTUALLY means prevention -- i.e. exercise and growing your OWN organic garden...
IMHO.
......
7. The average American eats over 150 grams of refined sugar a day. We should be eating only 40-50 grams max. Those extra calories get stored to fat IMMEDIATELY. Those extra 100 grams a day equal 36,500 calories a day = 10 lbs of FAT a YEAR! No wonder we are getting fatter and fatter EVERY YEAR!
As the others have stated, great post, sog.
I agree with everything you have written here - if only more people put more thought into what they eat like you have written, the West wouldn't have nearly as much of an obesity problem!
I believe a lot of the problem also is poverty. Cheap food is often full of crap and also people struggling to make ends meet on low paying-long hour jobs haven't the time or energy to invest in decent food preparation.
It is a complicated problem, for sure.
The Watch would be improved by working with the diet. If the phone had a 3D sensor, it would be able to tell what you are eating when combined with the color camera. If the sensor was accurate enough, it might even be able to detect how much salt has been added to a meal but you can tell it what was added and it can remember typical meals. The Watch and/or iPhone can track protein, fluid, sugar, salt/sodium, carbs, fats etc and then adjust the exercise according to what you've eaten. People with different height, weight should have different exercise targets and they have different diet goals too. The 3D camera can tell your body stats, you'd just take a 3D selfie and it'll know body shape, muscle tone etc. The Watch can give recommendations on what to eat at different intervals to maintain the right food intake.
The biggest problem with food is that few people have the time to read the labels on each component of a meal and add them all up to tell if the overall meal is unhealthy. It should be as easy as taking a picture of a plate of food and the phone can say how much of the recommended intake of products it offers and more healthy alternatives. If it hooks up with shopping apps, shopping lists, recipe apps, that makes it easier for people to buy the right foods. A shopping app can even average the shopping list out to give an overview of how much protein, fat etc the whole list contains and flag the worst purchases with alternatives. Ideally the recommendations wouldn't stray too much from what people like. If people like burgers then it shouldn't just automatically recommend salad because people will just stop using the app. It should just make sensible adjustments so recommend a lower fat burger meat or a smaller portion, maybe add more lettuce and a certain kind of sauce that has less sugar and salt.