A new software framework from Apple will help developers create products that enable individuals to manage their own medical conditions using their iPhone for support.
The framework, called CareKit, will allow developers to build CareKit modules into consumer-facing apps. The first four modules designed by Apple include Care Card, where people track individual care plans and action items, a symptom and measurement tracker, an insight dashboard to show how treatments are working to help certain symptoms and Connect, which can be used to share information and communicate with care providers.
CareKit appears to be the consumer-facing parallel to Apple's ResearchKit, which offers a framework for developers and researchers to conduct clinical studies by recruiting iPhone users to use their smartphones to contribute to research.
"We're thrilled with the profound impact ResearchKit has already had on the pace and scale of conducting medical research, and have realized that many of the same principles could help with individual care," said Jeff Williams, COO of Apple. "We believe that giving individuals the tools to understand what is happening with their health is incredibly powerful, and apps designed using CareKit make this a reality by empowering people to take a more active role in their care."
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