Apple (AAPL+1.68%) just launched a new major health study looking at how technology can help improve users’ physical and mental health, as well as overall well-being.
The five-year study, which could be expanded, will analyze how data from Apple and third-party devices, including iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches, can be used to track and manage a participant’s health. The study will also look to make connections across different aspects of health, including activity, aging, heart health, cognition, hearing, menstrual health, and sleep.
“We’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of how technology can improve our understanding of human health,” said Calum MacRae, a professor at Harvard Medical School and the principal investigator of the study, in a press release. The study is being conducted in partnership with the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
This is Apple’s first new major health study since 2019, when it launched the the Apple Women’s Health Study, the Apple Hearing Study, and the Apple Heart and Movement Study. Those studies, which are ongoing, already have over 350,000 participants across the U.S., collectively. They have also influenced Apple’s product and software development.
For example, Apple rolled out a clinical-grade, over-the-counter hearing aid feature on its AirPods Pro 2 headphones in September. The tech giant said the new study would also inform future product development.
Participation in the study is voluntary. Participants can choose which data types they want to share with researchers and can stop participating at any time.
Users interested in joining the study must have an iPhone 6s or newer with iOS 15 or a more recent software update installed. They also need to download the Apple Research app from the App Store, where they can enroll in the study, manage their data-sharing options, and complete surveys related to the study.
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