Apple Health, the iPhone app that can gather and display medical data, is already being tested in 23 hospitals in the United States, including to monitor chronic patients with diabetes and hypertension at distance.
The app was demonstrated for the first time last summer at the Worldwide Developer Conference, and Apple had already agreements with Allscripts and Epic Systems, companies that supply medical information.
The app was officially launched in late September as part of iOS8, along with a development package HealthKit. There are now already 23 hospitals experimentally using the app.
Apple has now also has competition from Google Fit (Android) and Samsung. The latter is in talks with hospitals to develop mobile health technology.