Apple and IBM join forces to bring game-changing healthcare apps to seniors in Japan
Two of the world’s biggest technology companies have teamed up to create a new product to help seniors in Japan stay engaged and connected with their healthcare providers. The joint venture between Apple and IBM will see iPhones and iPads loaded with IBM-developed healthcare apps delivered to senior citizens. Users can report their health data into “cloud” platforms HealthKit and ResearchKit, where health professionals can access it.
The service will be able to send medication and appointment reminders, arrange transportation, help with household maintenance and cleaning, enable general communication with health care providers, as well as with family members.
The new technology and services have been designed so they can be fully integrated with existing technology, such as Siri, Apple’s digital personal assistant; Siri will be able to read emails to people with visual disabilities.
It is hoped that the technology will help seniors take care of their own issues more easily with a little high-tech assistance. An IBM representative said that the cost of the service will be “nominal”, and that there is an opportunity for insurers to foot the bill.
Japan has a culture that has a lot of respect for its elderly citizens, so it’s no surprise that this initiative is beginning there. Their senior population makes up nearly a quarter of their country’s total population, meaning that caring for them represents a significant portion of the nation’s overall health care spend.
Apple and IBM hope to roll the technology out in other countries over time, but there is no word on when that will be.