The patients who need Apple’s Health app can’t utilize it

The reasons why the Health app isn’t available for the iPad aren’t clear. The iPad lacks the M7 and M8 activity tracking chip, but the utility of Apple’s Health app isn’t in actively tracking your health. Rather, using the Healthkit platform, it enables your wearable devices to streamline their data, such as blood pressure readings, efficiently into the Health app.

What Dr. Husain doesn’t grasp is that the core of HealthKit is based on security. Data stored in Apple’s Health app are locked down. Apps can only read or write Health data after being granted specific permission from the user. Developers aren’t allowed to sell the data. Apple has gone even further and made sure the data aren’t backed up into iCloud. All this in the name of security and HIPAA compliance.

All these security features aren’t good for usability. In my experience as both a physician and app developer, patients and app users aren’t yet familiar with using the Health app. Most people haven’t figured out how to use the Dashboard-feature. This is Apple’s fault.

Another ground for confusion is the lack of iCloud integration. Since data aren't stored in iCloud, they won't be synced between devices. This results in partial data for people on several devices. Introducing iPads into the mix would only compound the confusion.

In my opinion, the Health app needs a lot of improvements, and I find it wise to let the platform mature on the widely used iPhone before releasing it on the iPad. Especially as even Apple doesn’t know what the iPad is best at. That being said, I believe the HealthKit platform has immense potential.