In the past few years, the healthcare industry has been booming. Software developers have turned their attention to the healthcare industry, filling the market with a broad variety of applications for tracking key health indicators, managing medication and treatment, and fitness trackers. Google and Apple are recognized leaders in the field – they have developed full-fledged platforms – Healthkit and Google Fit that help people monitor their health and become healthier.
Why Healthkit and Google Fit?
Apple and Google are actively working on the development of their applications. Both Google Fit and Healthkit provide a standardized format for storing patient health data, making it easier for public and private clinics to access the data. Among other things, applications can be interconnected due to the presence of a common database, which simplifies the exchange of data between patients about treatment methods or side effects of certain drugs.
For developers
It should be noted that the general database for storing access to information about drugs or methods of treating diseases most often lies on the shoulders of the developers themselves. Most applications developed in the Google Fit or Healthkit environment are designed to anonymously store user health data. If the doctor wants to get access to the patient’s medical history, he will have to obtain permission from the patient himself – this point is stipulated at the stage of accepting the license agreement on the use of the development environment.
In the event that smart device manufacturers and medical development companies want to integrate with Google Fit and Healthcare, they will have to follow Bluetooth Smart standards. In accordance with current technology trends, Bluetooth Smart devices must have separate Android applications that will store reports in the Google Fit system. In turn, the iOS platform has built-in accessories that support smart devices to track a person’s vital signs, glucose levels, blood pressure, and body temperature.
For users
Both platforms represent a unified database, with stored records of all changes in client health indicators. Users can try out various applications, while all the collected health indicators will be recorded in one database. In this case, when using different fitness trackers or downloading applications to track diet or fitness, users do not need to enter body parameters each time – all medical records are stored in one place, confidential and inaccessible for unauthorized access by both other users and doctors.
Google Fit is based on cloud technologies, while Healthkit is not connected to iCloud or other cloud services. Also, Healthkit-supported devices do not include iPad.Â
Google Fit user account details can be accessed from any device, anywhere in the world – all you need to do is log in to your account using the standard login and password details. In general, the model of using Google Fit and Healthcare fully reflects the philosophy of attitude towards users of Apple and Google companies.
Design
Google Fit offers users a convenient minimalistic design – information is presented in the form of a list of key health indicators. App users must independently, and manually record all health indicators, while Google automatically stores them in a shared database. Also, indicators such as training time are automatically taken into account, as well as indicators standard for smart devices – the number of steps, heart rate, etc.
The recorded data can be viewed both in the Google Fit app and on the app’s website. After authorization, on the main page, you need to press the “View chart data” button. In the available menu, you can switch between different time frames, and another graph variable is the number of steps taken and the active time of sports. Users can add variable changes in body weight and heart rate to the graph.
Healthkit is somewhat more difficult to handle. At the same time, users can compare all changes in health indicators on one screen, which greatly simplifies the analysis. You can choose which data to display on the graphs and which health indicators to take into account during training. Users can add information about height, weight, blood type, date of birth, and emergency contacts.
Verdict
In general, both platforms are the basis for the integration of third-party applications for tracking vital signs and sports. Due to the proprietary approach of giant companies Apple and Google, sports activities and analysis of sports activities can be improved towards complete control over body parameters. User-friendly design and simple infographics provide enough information and settings for individual customization, and the ability to link several applications with one database through a Google or Apple account guarantees wide opportunities for creating an optimal training schedule.
