Apple has introduced a clinical-grade hearing aid feature for the AirPods Pro 2, building on its hearing test feature to offer an “end-to-end hearing health experience focused on prevention, awareness, and assistance”.
The feature, now available in the UK as a software update for AirPods Pro 2 users, uses a “personalised hearing profile” generated from a five minute hearing test, to enable “personalised dynamic adjustments” to sounds around a user.
Apple added that a user can see a summary of their results, including a number of factors representing hearing loss in each ear as well as an audiogram, which can also be shared with a healthcare provider.
“Privacy is fundamental in the design and development across all of Apple’s health features,” the update continues. “When a user’s device is locked with a passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID, all of their health and fitness data in the Health app — other than Medical ID — is encrypted.”
In February, HTN covered the news that Apple partnered with Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, to launch a “major” longitudinal study via its Research app to assess health data gained from Apple devices, as well as third-party tech. According to Apple, this is said to help explore the ways in which different areas of health may connect, “such as mental health’s impact on heart rate, or how sleep can influence exercise”, while also looking at how this technology “can be used to predict, detect, monitor, and manage” any changes in health.
Digital in self-care
A recent HTN Now panel discussion explored the role of digital in supporting self-care and delivering personalised care, looking at how digital can improve patient pathways and experiences, and the data points which should be leveraged to enable health and care organisations to deliver tech enabled care now and in the future. Panellists included Rachel Binks, nurse consultant and clinical lead for digital and acute care at NHS Airedale Hub; Saif Ahmed, associate medical director, deputy CCIO, and clinical director for frailty at Tameside and Glossop; and James Maynard, product marketing director at Access.
Another panel discussion from HTN saw our panellists focus on the implementation of supported self-care, with conversation touching upon the relationship of self-care and tackling health disparities as well as how to adopt and scale self-care pathways. Panellists included self-management specialist Steph Lowen; Dee McMullan, senior district nurse at Leicestershire Partnership, and Charlotte Furness, partnerships lead at Isla Health.
