A cohort of researchers and developers announced Friday that the Android app CommonHealth — which lets users see and share health data such as lab test results, immunizations, and medications from their records — is now connected to 230 U.S. health systems.
Similar to Apple Health Records for iPhone users, the free app — produced by the nonprofit organization the Commons Project — lets non-iPhone users manage their health data in a single location, a feat previously but unsuccessfully attempted by tech giants Google and Microsoft. Traditionally, such health care data is stored in siloed environments, creating obstacles for patients and clinicians who want to ensure comprehensive health care.
The news follows the rollout of new rules released earlier this year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that require health systems to share medical information with third-party apps of their choosing by January 2021, although the agency has said it will not penalize providers who don’t comply until July. At the same time, the Covid-19 pandemic is renewing existing pressures on health systems to allow for the sharing of data such as lab results.
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