It took 2 years for Apple and the Singapore Government to develop Lumihealth

As a wise man once said, prevention is always better than cure, which is why over the past few decades, doctors and health professionals are constantly expounded on the benefits of eating healthily and exercising regularly. 

In recent years, Singapore’s Health Promotion Board (HPB) has taken bigger steps in order to promote a healthier lifestyle among Singapore citizens, such as with the National Steps Challenge, which only recently ended its fifth season.

With the Challenge, participants only needed to download an app and clock the necessary amount of steps, ranging from 5,000 to 10,000, a day to earn points which can then be exchanged for rewards. All you need is a phone, a tracker and an app.

Well, the Singapore government is ready to take things to the next level and the HPB has chosen to team up with Apple in a new national health initiative, LumiHealth, a two-year programme that will be offered exclusively to Singaporeans from late October, 2020. 

“Two years ago, we had a very open call for collaboration, where we reached out to the top healthcare and technology companies in the world, and it was that process where Apple was selected, and here we are today after two years,” said Zee Yong Kang, CEO at Health Promotion Board.

The great part of working with a great ecosystem of hardware and software is that it was relatively to tap on the full features of the Apple Watch.

The seamless integration allows users to access numerous tools and apps to stay fit and take note of a user’s well being, such as the Activity Rings, ECG and oxygen level measurements, and even fall detection. 

As for why Apple was selected, Zee stated, “I think as many of you know, they have just this amazing ability to make technology user friendly and accessible to the widest range of people and engage them. Of course, they are the leaders in wearable technology and [know] how to bring those kinds of technologies into devices and software that is usable for all of us.”

But ultimately, Zee mentioned that it was the shared conviction that health care is an important factor to take note of to help people live better, longer, and happier lives. 

On their part, Apple has also noted that health is a very important initiative for the company, with CEO Tim Cook often stating that it will be an area where the company is able to “make the biggest difference in the world” 

“And so, with that in mind, looking around the world, it’s very evident with Singapore’s track record as a country has a world-leading healthcare system, but also importantly, a really progressive one,” said Myoung Cha, Head of Health Strategic Initiatives at Apple. “With all the investments the government’s made in promoting health, and not just health care, it’s really leaning in on prevention in a way that is really with intent towards a longer-term impact.”

[[nid:501967]]

Once Lumihealth is enabled, users will be required to complete various activity goals and challenges to help an intergalactic explorer get back home and along the way, be able to earn rewards of up to $380 over the course of the two-year duration of the LumiHealth initiative. 

To make sure that LumiHealth is able to meet users where they are and ensure that they have the best possible start to their health fitness journey, Apple and HPB have ensured that the challenges users will face at the start of their LumiHealth journey are specially catered for them, meaning that it’s not a one size fits all approach to health and exercise. 

“The start point [for the Activity Challenges] for everyone is different, partly based on the age, gender, and weight of the individual, but it is also very dynamic as well,” explained Myoung. “There is an algorithm at play that adjusts the user’s goal over time so that the activity goal is not too hard, not too easy, but just within reach to keep that person motivated.”

“And if the person slips, as we often do, it’s really about trying to gear the programme to pick that person up again, encouraging them to keep going,” Myoung added. 

Of course, with all the data sharing going on in LumiHealth, some users might have concerns regarding who has access to person health records, but Apple has assured users that they are taking a “very serious approach” not just with the user experience in terms of challenges and goals to complete, but also the privacy of each participating user. 

“There’s a lot of data that will be collected, but we have data minimization principle in place as well. Where, to the extent possible, we don’t need to use identifiable information. The identities of people such as their email addresses are only used to the extent necessary to administer the programme, for example, for rewards or redemptions,” said Myoung. “And we’re also trying to make sure that the data is very secure, as well as is protected and encrypted, both in transit and at rest throughout the system, to make sure that we keep it safe.”

It is also worth noting that the programme is entirely voluntary, with users having to opt-in if they wish to participate.

Users will be made aware of what they are signing up for in terms of data sharing before they give their consent to participate.

To participate in LumiHealth, it will be necessary for participants to own an Apple Watch, and the LumiHealth app can be downloaded directly from the App Store.

The programme will be available in late October and will run for a period of two years. 

This article was first published in Geek Culture.