How to Sign up for Apple Health Research
Earlier this fall, Apple announced three new research projects in the areas of hearing, heart and reproductive health in partnership with universities. There is now an application that will allow you to register .
The app is called Apple Research and you need to update to OS 13.2 in order to install it. In addition to three new studies, the app also features updates to the Apple Heart Study, the results of which were recently published.
Through the app, I signed up for a hearing test. The app gives a short description of the study and what is required, and then after you enter your name and contact information, you are presented with an informed consent form. This explains in more detail things like the purpose of the study, what you will be asked how long the study will take, and the risks and benefits of participation.
If you’ve ever participated in a study, this will be familiar to you. You can end your participation at any time. And while Apple and its partners promise to keep your data safe, every study will show you that the risk of data breaches is always non-zero. There is also a risk of learning something about your health. For example, if participating in a study made me think and worry about my hearing, I could go for a hearing test, which could cost me money or reveal health problems.
Meanwhile, even though the data will be used for product development, the research pays no participants and we don’t get any share of the profits.
The app then requested access to my data collected by the Health app for ambient noise levels, headphone noise levels, and noise notifications.
When you participate in a study, the app presents you with “tasks”. On the first day, he wants me to answer demographic questions about myself, complete the two-minute Prepare to Study, and conduct a 10-minute initial survey. There is also a ticker that lets me know how long I have been in the study (one day). Depending on which part of the study I am assigned to, I will receive notifications or not, asking me to review my noise level data when my phone detects that I have been exposed to loud noise.
You can also re-read the consent form at any time and the app will link you to the privacy policy and research FAQ. I feel well informed and the research tasks seem unobtrusive (as long as I wear my watch and don’t share my account with other people they ask you not to). interested in helping science (and Apple) learn about your health, this is an easy and convenient way to participate in research.