The Health Records feature within the Health app is now available for users in the UK and Canada to securely view and store their medical records on their iPhone. Oxford University Hospitals and Women’s College Hospital are among the first healthcare institutions in the UK and Canada to make this feature available to their patients.
Apple says that, in the U.S., over 500 institutions currently support Health Records on iPhone, listing more than 11,000 care locations. Previously, patients’ medical records were held in multiple locations, requiring patients to log in to each healthcare provider’s website to piece together their health information manually. Health Records creates a direct connection between medical institutions and a patient’s iPhone, allowing users to see a central view of their allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures, and vitals across multiple institutions, and to be notified when their data is updated.
“We designed Health Records on iPhone to empower people to easily view their health records at any time, and we are thrilled to put this feature in the hands of customers in the UK and Canada,” said Kevin Lynch, Apple’s vice president of Technology, in a press release. “We believe people should have access to their health information in the most private and secure way, and we have worked hand in hand with healthcare institutions and organizations to put privacy at the center of the patient experience.”
He adds that Apple believes privacy is a fundamental human right, and Health Records was designed to protect patients’ privacy at all times by utilizing a direct, encrypted connection between the user’s iPhone and the healthcare organization. In addition, all Health Records data is encrypted on device and protected with the user’s iPhone passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID. Apple worked closely with Cerner, Epic, Allscripts, and InterSystems to enable the FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standards-based integration with the Health app for their UK and Canadian customers.
The Health Records feature in the Health app is available to patients of the medical institutions listed below. In the coming months, more medical facilities will connect to Health Records and offer their patients access to this feature. Medical professionals and providers can find more information on Health Records, the Health app, and more here.
UK
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Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – Oxford, UK
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Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust – Milton Keynes, UK
Canada
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Women’s College Hospital – Toronto, Ontario
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St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton – Hamilton, Ontario
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Mackenzie Health – Richmond Hill, Ontario
