At Keynote in September, Apple announced a new app called AppleResearch. It is an open research program for participants with an Apple Watch and an iPhone. It presents doing a study on topics as important as heart health, movement, hearing and women's health.
As of this Thursday, this application has already been launched in the United States so that users who want to sign up can provide their health data anonymously to contribute to this study. The company ensures that participants can contribute to breakthrough medical discoveries, and help create the next generation of healthcare devices.
Hearing study
The Apple Hearing Study will collect data on headphone use and exposure to ambient sound via iPhone and the new Noise app on Apple Watch. The University of Michigan will use the data to determine how long-term exposure to sound can affect stress levels and cardiovascular health. Participants will be randomly assigned to groups within the study, to assess whether receiving notifications from the health app when exposure to loud sound is detected can motivate users to modify listening behaviors.
Heart and activity study
Heart and activity study, is part of a broader effort to promote healthier activity and improve the cardiovascular system. Apple is partnering with Brighan and Women's Hospital and the American Heart Association to investigate how impaired mobility, along with details about heart rate and rhythm, could be used as potential early warning signs of atrial fibrillation.
Women's Health Study
Apple Women's aims to advance the understanding of menstrual cycles and their relationship to various health conditions, including polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, osteoporosis, and the menopausal transition. The study is being conducted in association with the TH Harvard School of Public Health, TH Chan, and the NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
The study will use the iPhone paired with an Apple Watch to collect cycle tracking information, and will conduct monthly surveys to understand each participant's unique menstrual experience. The data will be combined to analyze the impact of certain behaviors and habits on a wide range of reproductive health issues.
The Apple Research app
At its September event, Apple presented three projects with the goal of improving people's health. The studies will use the data provided by the Apple Watch, including some features that were new to watchOS 6.
The foundation for the Research app was developed during and after the Apple Heart Study. Stanford University has published this week a work based on the data obtained in this study. Apple started this project in late 2017, with the program later called the American Heart Journal, titled "The Greatest Arrhythmia of All Time." The investigation concluded in 2018, and the data obtained in that study was used to obtain FDA approval of the electrocardiogram showing Apple Watch series 4.
For years, Apple has spent a lot of effort investigating how its devices can help us improve our health, and that is to be appreciated.