Apple's market value is approaching $3 trillion, and the "heart" watch can measure atrial fibrillation

Apple is transforming into a software-driven business. In the early morning of December 14, Apple released an updated version of the iOS 15.2 software. It is worth noting that in terms of health function, China will support the use of ECG for the first time.

In the intraday session on Monday, Apple's stock price broke through the $180 mark, and its market value exceeded $3 trillion for the first time, becoming the first listed company with a market value of $3 trillion, but the closing market value fell back below $300 million.

From $2 trillion to $3 trillion, Apple took just 16 months, while from $1 trillion to $2 trillion in market capitalization, Apple took two years. So far this year, Apple's stock price has risen by more than 30%. Over the past week, Apple's stock price has risen by 11%.

Tech companies turn to healthcare

After Apple stopped releasing iPhone sales figures, the tech giant began turning to software-driven growth.

A typical representative is that after the new software update, in the future, Apple users in China can also monitor the ECG function in real time through the Apple smart watch and share this heart data with doctors. In some parts of the world, doctors and hospitals have access to personal health information as part of the health record of e-health.

In the United States, nearly 30 percent of people already use wearable health devices to track, monitor, and transmit physiological data about heart rate and rhythm, blood pressure, body temperature, blood sugar levels, sleep quality, and more. But how doctors use this data is still a challenge.

In June, the State Drug Administration (NMPA) approved Apple's mobile ELECTROCARD Atrial Fibrillation Cue Software ECG, a Class II device product for recording, displaying, and storing single-channel ECGs similar to lead ECGs for use with apple Watches, for atrial fibrillation (AFib) or sinus rhythm cues. However, it is emphasized that the prompt information is for reference only, should not be relied on the information alone for clinical decision-making, is not suitable for users under the age of 22 years of age, and is not recommended for users with other known arrhythmia diseases.

China is an important market for Apple and apple's third largest market in the world. The Apple ECG feature is officially launched in China, limiting the main obstacle to the promotion of the Apple Watch in China. Cook said at a recent earnings release that Chinese customers are buying more accessories such as the Apple Watch.

"The improvement of medical and health functions will promote the popularity of wearable products, including smart watches." Canalys analyst Liu Jiansen told the first financial reporter, "ECG function will change the decisions of many users who were hesitant to buy wearable devices." ”

A senior industry insider in the field of medical technology told the first financial reporter: "Apple's approval of medical devices in China is of great significance, if there is no medical-grade function, Apple can not be regarded as a digital health company, the new function online means that Apple officially entered the Chinese medical and health industry." ”

The above-mentioned person said that the transformation of technology companies to the health care industry will bring greater value, but for multinational companies like Apple, there are still many challenges to occupy China's health care market, including the internal support structure of the company.

At present, the market for wearable smart health devices, including watches and bracelets with sensors, is fiercely competitive. Previously, Huawei also applied for patents related to wearable devices for blood pressure detection, and said that it was jointly conducting hypertension management research with well-known medical institutions in China to explore innovative active health management of blood pressure from screening to early intervention.

How do doctors use data?

Industry insiders expect that with the popularity of a large number of wearable devices, more and more data will be generated in the future, and how this data can be safely stored and used by doctors is a key issue.

Apple pointed out on its official website that when measuring with the ECG function, users need to know that the function cannot detect heart attacks, blood clots or strokes, other heart-related hypertension, congestive heart failure, high cholesterol or other symptoms such as irregular heart rate.

This means that monitoring the ECG through a smart watch cannot replace the way the hospital monitors it. A cardiovascular disease expert told the first financial reporter: "Apple's electrocardiogram is a single channel, that is to say, there is only one lead, which can only record the heart rate abnormality, but can not identify the heart ischemia and ischemic sites." Routine hospital examinations use a 12-lead, possibly with the addition of a right thoracic lead. ”

But the ultimate scenario for healthy wearables is for the general public to continuously manage their health data and monitor their overall health in response to any emergency. To make this leap forward, however, doctors must be confident that these wearables are working properly and that the data is reliable.

The American Medical Association (AMA) conducted a survey of doctors to assess their perceptions of various digital health tools, including wearables. More than 87 percent of respondents believe that the use of these therapies will have at least some advantages, especially wearables and telemedicine devices. But doctors also say digital tools need to be "necessary" to deliver real clinical benefits. These conditions include improving efficiency and strengthening the privacy and security of patient data.

China has a large amount of medical data, and Chinese patients produce more data than any other country in the world. How to use this data to provide doctors and patients with valuable diagnostic and therapeutic knowledge and form a standardized model is being explored by the industry.

Industry insiders told the first financial reporter that Apple wants to enter China's health field, and the protection of users' personal data is basic. "Apple has committed to serving the Chinese market and building servers in China to store Chinese patient data in China." A senior analyst of the digital health market told the first financial reporter, "The more important issue now is how to recognize the data, because the data collected by wearable devices is ultimately used by local doctors, so as to play the role of big data." ”