Is It Safe To Store Your Health Information On Your Apple Devices?
This fall, Apple will release iOS 16 and watchOS 9, which will include 17 expanded features focusing on health and fitness (via Healthline). Apple recently published a report outlining how these iPhone and Apple Watch features will help connect users with their health data, hoping to improve health outcomes for its users. But how secure is it to store so much personal data on your Apple device?
Apple has been innovating in the health and fitness world since the release of the Health app in 2014 and the Apple Watch in 2015, according to Apple. The fall launch will include areas focused on sleep, women's health, and heart health, among others. Users will be able to store over 150 types of health data in the app, like heart rate, sleep patterns, and menstrual cycle tracking. The app will also have the ability to collaborate with over 800 medical institutions, connecting patients to their medical records directly. The Apple report maintains that allowing patients to have such direct access to their health history and data will empower them to take an active role in their wellbeing.
To share or not to share?
It might sound like a great idea to have access to all your medical records and data right on your iPhone, but is it? While Apple's report claims that the updated Health app will eliminate obstacles between users and their health data, experts aren't so sure the benefits outweigh the risks.
Apple confirmed that all sensitive health data is protected and secure, but there's always a possibility of a data breach, according to a leading expert on the intersection of healthcare and tech, Anthony Capone (via Healthline). More than that, some experts think that having your entire medical record and every piece of health data available to your doctor (and yourself) isn't necessarily helpful. If a doctor has too much information, it may actually distort their view of a patient's overall health. And having that much data at your disposal might create unnecessary anxiety for patients, especially for those with mental health conditions.
If you're on top of your medical history and are doing a good job of maintaining your health, it may not be worth it to store all your health information on an Apple device.