Apple launches app to let users enroll in health studies

CUPERTINO: Apple on Thursday launched an app that will let users of its devices to enroll in three health studies, allowing them to share health-related data for medical research.

The studies are conducted in partnership with research institutes, including Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

People who download the research app would be able to enroll in studies including Apple Women’s Health Study, Apple Heart and Movement Study and Apple Hearing Study, the company said in a study.

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After enrolling, participants using Apple Watch and iPhone can contribute useful data around movement, heart rate and noise levels, captured during everyday activities, from taking a walk to attending a concert. Users can also control the type of data they wish to share with each study.

The move comes at a time when big technology companies are pushing deeper into collecting health-related data of their users.

Alphabet Inc’s Google tapped the fitness trackers market earlier this month with a $2.1 billion bid for Fitbit Inc, and said it sees an opportunity to introduce its own wearable devices and invest more in digital health.