Apple Health adds the ability to share data with doctors and family members

The Apple Health app is getting a handful of new features in iOS 15, including a Sharing option that allows users to send their own health data to doctors and family members, and receive real-time notifications about their loved ones. All of the info is encrypted so that even Apple can’t access it, and users have control over who sees what.

In terms of doctor’s visits, Sharing is designed to help users provide information they might otherwise forget, such as sleep and exercise data. On a personal level, the feature should be of particular interest to folks taking care of elderly family members.

On top of the Sharing function, Apple is rolling out three additional features for its Health app: Walking Steadiness, Trends and more detailed descriptions of laboratory data. Walking Steadiness tracks changes in gait and balance to assess a user’s risk of falling. The Health app will send out a push notification warning about a potential fall.

The iOS 15 update also adds Trends, a feature that can recognize long-term patterns in your health data, such as changes in mobility or physiology, and better assess your goals. Plus, the update adds more detailed descriptions of laboratory data, including information about important terms and health risks.