Apple wants to turn iPhones into medical data banks
Apple's health unit has been holding secret talks with developers and medical industry groups about bringing medical data, such as health records and allergy lists, to the iPhone, according to six insiders cited by CNBC. The tech giant is also looking into cloud-hosting start-ups whose technologies might fit into its plans, said one source. In moving into the medical data sector, Apple could help to resolve data sharing issues between healthcare providers and enable patients to share their health histories on command. 

Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) is looking to make more waves in healthcare by turning its iPhone into a databank of medical data as it eyes a possible acquisition of Athenahealth, according to 2 CNBC reports.

The tech-sector giant has reportedly been in talks with players in the healthcare industry and developers to try and bring clinical data, including lab results, allergies, prescriptions and other information, to the iPhone.

Users with data on their phone would be able to share it with 3rd parties, including hospitals and health developers, according to CNBC. Apple is reportedly looking at cloud hosting start-ups for potential acquisitions which could fit it’s data-integration plans.

The move would be a significant shift for Apple, which has focused almost entirely on health and fitness data.

Centralizing healthcare data could be a boon for the healthcare community as a whole, which is having an “interoperability crisis” through which patient data is difficult to share due to a lack of organized patient data sharing systems, according to CNBC.

The move wouldn’t be the 1st for a large tech company attempting to centralize health data. In 2011, Google (NSDQ:GOOG) shut down its Google Health product, which aimed to achieve a similar endpoint, due to a “lack of traction,” according to the report.

The company could also be looking at big-play acquisitions in the healthcare field, with Citigroup analyst Karen Sarafian recommending the company pick up Athenahealth, according to CNBC.

Sarafian wrote that the purchase of Athenahealth, valued at nearly $6 billion, could solve a major issue for Apple in the healthcare sphere – improving the exchange of medical data.

Athenahealth reportedly offers access to approximately 83 million patient records and has regularly integrated its data with clinical IT systems including Epic and Cerner, according to the report.

Earlier this month, Dexcom (NSDQ:DXCM) and Apple said they would team up to integrate data directly from Dexcom’s glucose sensors into Apple’s wearable Apple Watch.