iPhone users will be able to download medical records from hospitals after Apple software update

Apple Health
Apple Health app will receive smartphone owners' medical records Credit: Apple

iPhone users will be able to download medical records and hospital lab test results onto their mobiles from spring this year.

Apple has announced that patients from 12 different hospitals in the US will  be able to view their medical information in the Health app in the next upgrade to Apple's operating system. Medical records from various institutions, including allergies, medical conditions, immunisations and prescriptions will also be available. 

Apple already allows iPhone users to store health information gathered by the Apple Watch and other connected devices in its Health app, but this is the first time a system for retrieving records from a variety of medical providers has been launched on a smartphone.

"Our goal is to help consumers live a better day. We’ve worked closely with the health community to create an experience everyone has wanted for years - to view medical records easily and securely right on your iPhone,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. 

"By empowering customers to see their overall health, we hope to help consumers better understand their health and help them lead healthier lives."

iPhone X
iPhone X Credit: Apple

The beta test includes Johns Hopkins Medicine, one of the US' leading healthcare systems and top medical schools. 

“Streamlining information sharing between patients and their caregivers can go a long way towards making the patient experience a positive one,” said Stephanie Reel, Johns Hopkins Medicine's chief information officer. 

Apple has responded to widespread customer grumbling by adding a switch for a controversial power management tool, which stunts iPhone performance.  It faced backlash after admitting to secretly throttling older iPhones - a suspicion long held by customers.

Apple said it had introduced the feature in January 2017 to stop batteries from over-heating and shutting down without warning.  It was quizzed by the US Senate and France opened an investigation into whether it had deliberately stunted phones to get customers to pay for an upgrade, a practice called "planned obscolescence". 

Dragon Animoji
Apple is introducing new Animoji including a dragon Credit: Apple

Tim Cook has since apologised and offered a reduced-cost battery replacement service as a good-will gesture. Battery servicing alerts will also appear on upgraded iPhones. 

Additional features to iOS 11.3 will include improved augmented reality and four new Animoji for the iPhone X, including a lion, near, dragon and skull, Apple said.  Animojis capture 50 facial muscle movements of a person behind the iPhone X camera and transform them into moving animal faces, which can be sent as a message. 

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