蘋果把移動設備變成臨牀研究工具

Tapping an iPhone’s touchscreen to take a photograph or make a phone call is as familiar as the traditional cameras and mobile phones that it replaced. Medical researchers hope to use the same simple interactions to study diseases from Parkinson’s to asthma.

點擊iPhone的觸摸屏來照相或打電話，如今已變得跟被iPhone取代的傳統相機和手機一樣令人熟悉了。醫學研究人員希望使用同樣簡單的互動，去研究從帕金森氏綜合症到哮喘的各類疾病。

Apple began its move into the digital health industry last summer when it unveiled HealthKit, a software platform that developers can use to pool data about workouts, calorie intake and weight. Apple touted its potential to alert doctors about changes to the user’s wellbeing, and several US hospitals have begun to pilot the system. Less than a year later, almost 1,000 fitness apps are plugging in to HealthKit, giving Apple a strong base upon which to launch its health-centred Watch device.

去年夏天，蘋果(Apple)開始進入數字醫療行業，推出了HealthKit軟件平臺，開發人員可以使用該平臺彙集健身鍛鍊、卡路里攝入和體重數據。蘋果宣稱該系統有潛力提醒醫生關注用戶健康狀況變化，幾家美國醫院已開始試用該系統。不到1年之後，接入HealthKit的健身應用app已達近1000個，爲蘋果推出以健康爲核心的蘋果手錶(Apple Watch)裝置奠定了堅實的基礎。

Apple’s longer-term plans became clearer with the launch earlier this month of ResearchKit, a way for medical researchers to transform the iPhone into a tool for conducting clinical research.

隨着本月ResearchKit的推出，醫療研究人員獲得一種將iPhone變成臨牀研究工具的途徑，蘋果的更長期計劃變得明晰起來。

“All you have to do is stick the iPhone in your pocket, walk out 20 steps and back, and the iPhone’s accelerometer and gyroscope precisely measure gait,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s senior vice-president for operations, of an app studying Parkinson’s, at this month’s launch.

“你只需要一直把iPhone放在口袋裏，走上20步再返回，iPhone的加速計和陀螺儀就能精確測量您的步態，”蘋果運營高級副總裁傑夫•威廉斯(Jeff Williams)在本月發佈會上提到一款研究帕金森氏綜合症的app時表示。

Apple is not planning to make money directly from these apps, which also track diabetes and cardiovascular health. But ResearchKit is building goodwill with the medical community that could help to sell more iPhones or Watches.

蘋果不打算直接通過app賺錢（此類app還可追蹤糖尿病和心血管健康狀況）。但ResearchKit正在醫療界打造良好聲譽，可能有助於提高iPhone或Apple Watch銷量。

“Having a common platform is a godsend to researchers at the university, hospital, clinical and government level,” says Richard Doherty, research director at Envisioneering, a technology consultancy.

“擁有一項共同平臺，對於大學、醫院、臨牀和政府方面的研究人員來說是天賜之物，”技術諮詢公司Envisioneering的研究總監理查德•多爾蒂(Richard Doherty)表示。

Guaranteeing users’ data security and privacy will be essential. Mr Williams has said that customers will opt into any ResearchKit programmes and promised that Apple “will not see your data”.

確保用戶數據的安全與隱私將是不可或缺的。蘋果的威廉斯表示，顧客將自願選擇加入任何ResearchKit計劃，他承諾，蘋果“將看不到你的數據”。

He concluded: “Apple has always believed that amazing things can happen when you put technology in the hands of the many.”

他斷言道：“蘋果始終相信，當你讓衆人掌握科技手段時，可能會有奇蹟發生。”