Apple Enables Organ Donation Registration via Health App in iOS 10

When iOS 10 is released, Apple’s “Health” app will introduce a new feature that allows Apple users across the United States to become organ, eye, or tissue donors with just a few taps.

“In the United States, one person dies every hour on average while waiting for an organ transplant, as the life-saving demand for transplants far exceeds the available supply of organs, and a single donor can save up to eight lives,” said David Fleming, President and CEO of Donate Life America, a U.S. nonprofit organization dedicated to organ donation, in a statement announcing its partnership with Apple to develop new features. “Apple’s Health app will sync with the National Donate Life Registry. Through this collaboration, we will make it easier for people to find information about organ, eye, and tissue donation and register quickly. This is a significant advancement that will ultimately help save lives.”

Last month, at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Kevin Lynch, Apple’s Vice President of Technology, announced that the “Health” app in iOS 10 would feature a Medical ID screen, providing direct access from both iPhone and Apple Watch screens, including the lock screen. The Medical ID will display information such as age, allergies, blood type, emergency contacts, and critical medical conditions, depending on the user’s preferences. An organ donor registration feature will also be integrated into the Medical ID, allowing users to confirm their donor status during setup. If users choose to become donors, an icon will appear in the app to indicate this status.

In a statement, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams said, “Apple’s mission has always been to create products that change people’s lives. This update to the Health app will disseminate knowledge about organ donation, raise awareness, and make registration more convenient than ever. The sign-up process is simple, taking just seconds, and has the potential to save eight lives. We are delighted to partner with Donate Life America to offer this new feature to Apple iOS 10 users in the United States.”

At the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple unveiled a host of new health and wellness features for the iPhone and Apple Watch, including “Breathe,” a guided meditation app; the Apple Watch’s remote emergency response feature, “SOS”; and updates to the “Activity” app, which enhance social sharing capabilities and introduce a version specifically tailored for wheelchair users.

MobiHealthNews also learned about the development at the Global Developers Conference: Apple’s iOS 10 system will add support for Continuity of Care Documents (CCD) within the Health Level Seven (HL7) health information exchange standards. According to Dr. Ricky Bloomfield, who shared insights from the conference, physicians will be able to create CCDs and transmit this information to patients, who can then share the documents with other caregivers and clinicians.

Original source: mobihealthnews.com