As part of the iOS 10 rollout, the Apple Health app will see a very positive upgrade if you don’t mind giving Apple the same access you give your doctor. While Apple won’t be snapping on the latex gloves and asking you not to clench, it is partnering with Donate Life America to encourage you to become an organ donor.
Every ten minutes a new person is added to the national transplant waiting list, and they usually spend a lot of time on that list. Over 120,000 Americans are on that list. Since we don’t live in a future society where you can rent organs, these folk just simply wait for someone to die. Someone with an organ donor designation on their drivers license. Apple is hoping to change that by making it damn easy to become an organ donor.
“On average, one person dies every hour in the United States waiting for an organ transplant because the demand for lifesaving transplants far exceeds the available supply of organs — and one donor can save as many as eight lives,” said David Fleming, President & CEO of Donate Life America in Apple’s press release. “By working with Apple to bring the National Donate Life Registry to the Health app on iPhone, we’re making it easier for people to find out about organ, eye and tissue donation and quickly register. This is a huge step forward that will ultimately help save lives.”
Making it easier is putting it lightly. The Health app will use the Medical ID feature, which tracks medical and health information, to include the ultra quick ability to register as a donor. That’s organs, eyes and tissues if you were wondering. With a tap, that willingness to save lives should yours be cut short is forwarded to the National Donate Registry managed by Donate Life of America.
Medical ID will also make critical health information available in case of emergency to first responders, with availability from the lock screen. While you can register all you want to be a donor, the Health app will be able to determine if you are even a viable candidate. While that was usually left to the discerning professional opinions of ER doctors, the Health app will already be tracking your fitness and overall health.
Apple isn’t the first tech giant to encourage organ donors. Facebook also put together a partnership back in 2012 with Donate Life America to push people to get their livers on ice. Apple is just the first one to know how much you’ve been torturing your organs with terrible decisions. If you really want to save lives, lay off the Mac and Cheetos already.