Apple has just unveiled its app development platform named CareKit that will be available in April. This open-source toolkit helps developers create mobile apps for health treatment tracking and remotely sharing medical data with physicians. The tech giant's first CareKit app tracks health changes of Parkinson's disease patients and allows them to communicate with their medical doctors.
The CareKit app for Parkinson's patients will be available for six medical centers in the United States, according to ZDNet. It will include a symptom tracker, care card, and motion tests equipped with accelerometers.
Apple's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jeff Williams explained that CareKit gives people control about where data is sent and who can view it. He said the toolkit has an unlimited number of uses. However, Williams did not explain any security features that it would provide to keep personal health information safe.
CareKit extends Apple's ResearchKit. That is another open-source software platform the company created as a digital tool for medical researchers, according to Gizmodo. It is also very similar to Apple's HealthKit that was the tech giant's first health-related software.
Williams talked about the progress of ResearchKit. He reported it has found sub-types of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, discovered asthma triggers in all 50 US states, and listed studies from top institutions.
During the CareKit introduction Apple showed a video highlighting how ResearchKit has helped certain patients. It included health tracking of Parkinson's patients and Apple Watch sensors being used to predict epilepsy.
Apple showcased ResearchKit during its Apple Watch Event during March 2015. It was developed to make it easier for medical workers to develop apps and collect patients' medical data.
In related news Korean researchers have developed a pain-free skin patch for diabetics that monitors blood sugar levels. It measures glucose levels through sweat and uses micro-needles to deliver a diabetes drug.
The skin patch is made from a substance named graphene that can make the patch thin and stretchy. It also contains many sensors that detect temperature, humidity, pH, and sweat sugar levels. Researchers claim the new device could be used by people with both types of diabetes.
Here's a ResearchKit video: