Apple Unveils ResearchKit: An Open-Source Platform Transforming iPhones into Medical Diagnostic Tools

At its spring event early this morning, Apple also announced a new medical software platform, ResearchKit. Apple aims to transform the iPhone into a medical diagnostic tool through the more specialized ResearchKit.

ResearchKit is an open-source platform that enables medical professionals to create diagnostic apps for the iPhone. Similar to the numerous data-sharing apps already available on Apple’s HealthKit, ResearchKit reports that the first five apps are now live on the platform, capable of aiding in the diagnosis of various diseases.



Apple Senior Vice President Jeff Williams detailed several applications at the launch event. One example is mPower, which is used to assess responses in Parkinson’s disease. This product was jointly developed by the University of Rochester, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University in China, and Sage Bionetworks.

Apple hopes that ResearchKit will deliver value in addressing some of today’s thorny medical challenges, such as limited patient engagement, insufficient data samples, and the unidirectional nature of doctor–patient communication. The design of the ResearchKit app will place greater emphasis on interactivity.



Williams mentioned that more iOS-based apps are coming soon: a diabetes diagnosis app from Massachusetts General Hospital, a heart disease diagnosis app from Stanford University and the University of Oxford, an asthma app from Mount Sinai Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine, and an app designed to assist breast cancer patients, launched by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Penn State College of Medicine, and Sage Bionetworks.

Williams emphasized that every app user on ResearchKit has robust control over their data sharing, with restrictions on when and with whom it is shared. Sensitive data within are visible only to medical researchers; Apple itself does not access these data.(To stay updated on the latest news about internet healthcare startups, please follow VCBeat’s WeChat official account: vcbeat. We also welcome you to engage with us on topics of interest, contact us via WeChat, and share your startup projects or research insights.)