Apple Inc. is talking to several major electronic records companies and health organizations about how its HealthKit, a personal health-tracking app for its iPhones, can roll out in the hospital. The move suggests Apple is aiming to set itself up as the repository of consumer health data.
The tech giant is discussing its app with Mount Sinai, Johns Hopkins, Cleveland Clinic and electronic health records provider Allscripts, according to sources who spoke to Reuters. The talks are informal, Reuters added. Apple already has partnerships with Epic Systems Corp., an Allscripts competitor, Mayo Clinic and Nike.
The app, expected to be released as part of the iPhone 6 in September, is designed to make health information such as blood pressure and weight more available to consumers and healthcare providers.
More partnerships could be in the works. Reuters reported that Kaiser Permanente is expected to contact Apple regarding negotiations for a more formal partnership.
“Apple is going into this space with a data play,” said Skip Snow, an analyst with Forrester Research’s health care unit. “They want to be a hub of health data.”
