Just this week I was kevetching about a recent doctor visit that left a lot to be desired. And today I read that Apple purchased HealthKit taking health and wellness to a new level in the personalized medicine frontier.
According to Qmed, “Apple … announced that HealthKit, a glorified healthcare and fitness app bundled into iOS8, can potentially communicate patient health data to hospitals. The company also announced a partnership with the Mayo Clinic, which is exploring the integration of HealthKit, potentially enabling the app to share health information with clinicians. For instance, clinicians can use HealthKit to define custom ranges for metrics like heart rate and blood pressure for the patient. If a reading falls out of that range, HealthKit can contact the hospital proactively. A doctor could then contact the patient to provide them with medical advice.”
I don’t know whether Apple’s stance in the market is a sign that we should all run out to buy Apple stock or if it is simply confirmation that the timeline for personalized medical futures has collapsed.
Qmed went on to report that “by creating a personal profile of each user’s medical records in conjunction with HealthKit, the Mayo Clinic App will be able to check whether a reading (heart rate for example) falls with a patient’s personal parameters.” If not, the hospital can be contacted and a doctor notified.
I am processing this both as a boomer who will be a part of this shift in the way medical care is provided and as a potential investor. Know that I do not profess to be a financial expert. Yet I really do not need Jim Cramer, the high powered financial analyst, to read this trend for me.
When you think about how care may be delivered in the future you cannot help but agree that it presents many opportunities for entrepreneurs. My investment odds of success if I were to bet simply going on a hunch are better served here than in buying a lottery ticket.
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