Google has announced the launch of a new app, namely Google Health Studies to enable medical researchers to study and analyse health-related data provided by participants through surveys.
According to the company, the new app provides a platform for researchers to reach a large and diverse population to better understand human health while providing the “public with greater opportunities to contribute to medical research.”
Introducing #GoogleHealthStudies—a new @Android app that makes it easy for adults in the U.S. to participate in health research. Contribute to the first study on respiratory health and make a difference in your community. https://t.co/mki6cFF6w7
— Google (@Google) December 9, 2020
The first study run through the app, called Google Health Studies, will look at respiratory illnesses like the flu and COVID-19.
Participants in the study will use the app to report any respiratory symptoms, the precautions they’re taking to prevent disease, and whether they’ve been tested for COVID-19 or the flu.
The app will collect demographic data, like age, gender, and race as well.
The information would be sent to researchers through “federated learning,” – privacy technology that is said to keep a person’s data stored on the device, while allowing researchers to discover aggregate insights based on encrypted, combined updates from many devices.
“Researchers in this study can examine trends to understand the link between mobility (such as the number of daily trips a person makes outside the home) and the spread of COVID-19,” Google wrote in a press release.
It is worthwhile to note that Health Studies is Google’s answer to Apple’s Research app, which runs on iOS devices. Last year, it launched studies on menstrual cycles, mobility and heart health, and hearing. Apple also lets researchers build their own iPhone apps through its ResearchKit program.
The Google Health Studies is available to download for free via Google Play Store, and its Apple App Store availability details remain unclear.
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