Apple begins collecting Apple Watch data for Heart Study
Apple this week began collecting heart rate data from Apple Watch owners who signed up to participate in a heart study being conducted in cooperation with Stanford Health.
The company is currently sending out push notifications to Apple Watch owners who opted in to the Apple Heart Study in November, notifying them that the project is underway.
Tapping on the notification opens the Heart Study app, which directs users to verify participation requirements including the ability to communicate in English. Those with certain pre-existing heart conditions like atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, as well as those taking prescription anticoagulant medications, are it eligible to participate in the study.
Once a user confirms that they meet the specified requirements, Apple sends out a pair of emails that include an informed consent document and information regarding HIPAA rights and regulations.
Officially called the “Apple Heart Study: Assessment of Wristwatch-Based Photoplethysmography to Identify Cardiac Arrhythmias,” Apple announced the research initiative at the Apple Watch Series 3 unveiling. The collaborative project is designed to further Apple’s ongoing efforts in the health sciences market.
“Every week we receive incredible customer letters about how Apple Watch has affected their lives, including learning that they have AFib. These stories inspire us and we’re determined to do more to help people understand their health,” Apple COO Jeff Williams said in November. “Working alongside the medical community, not only can we inform people of certain health conditions, we also hope to advance discoveries in heart science.”
The study relies on Apple Watch’s specialized heart rate sensor and a dedicated app to collect data that can be used to identify irregular heart rhythms. If a study participant displays such heart activity, they receive a notification on their Apple Watch and iPhone, a free consultation with a study doctor and an electrocardiogram peripheral for additional monitoring.
The Apple Heart Study app is available in the U.S. Users who are 22 years or older and have an Apple Watch Series 1 or later can participate in the study.