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By: Luke Reiner | lpr5062@psu.edu | January 23rd, 2018
Wearing a doctor on your wrist? A device to warn you about irregular heartbeats? Know anyone with existing heart conditions? Apple and Johnson & Johnson are working together on a research study to bring a heart health monitoring app onto the latest Apple Watch.
Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc, one of many Johnson & Johnson’s R&D companies, is performing the study. The app will monitor people living with atrial fibrillation, which is when the heart’s upper chambers (atria) beat out of coordination with the lower chambers (ventricles). This type of heart condition often goes unnoticed, so the app will assist in detecting the irregular heart rhythm.
Along with detecting irregular heart rhythm early, Johnson & Johnson will also include certain effective medications to be shown on the app. This will allow people to become aware of their condition and take care of it as soon as possible. They will not have to depend so much on outside care of a doctor, at least in the initial stages. It will also potentially be able to reduce the risk of a stroke by detecting these issues early.
The research study is set to begin at some point in 2019. The program will be presented to individuals in the U.S. of the ages 65 and older. Apple also linked with health insurer Aetna to provide members with discounted Apple Watches which can help to overcome the $399 cost barrier. Johnson & Johnson and Apple will not gather identifiable patient data nor will the data go to third-party providers, like healthcare systems or insurers. One of the main reasons Johnson and Johnson teamed up with Apple is because of “their unparalleled data privacy and security capabilities.”
I think the partnership between Apple and Johnson & Johnson is great stepping stone into what can be in the healthcare and tech industry since they will be able to combine expertise to enable individuals to assess their health early and take the necessary care. The heart condition atrial fibrillation affects 33 million people worldwide and is responsible for 130,000 deaths and 750,000 hospitalizations annually. It can also lead to strokes which lead to more care and stress for the individual and their family. The Apple Watch is already capable of providing accurate heart and health information to users, so if J&J can pioneer the right software then I think that can be a great breakthrough in detecting atrial fibrillation issues early, providing diagnosis, and the proper care all on a device. This cuts crucial patient time in seeking medical attention in dire situations and may be able to save and change lives for the better. Hopefully it finishes successfully and leads to more join innovation between the health and tech industries.
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