Apple’s latest watchOS update, 9.6.1, aims to fix a major issue affecting Apple Watch users who use their device to monitor Parkinson’s disease.
If you are a StrivePD user, this new update from Apple will help resolve the issues that you have been experiencing with your Apple Watch.
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About the 9.6.1 update for apps that use the Movement Disorder API
Apple’s new update includes a fix for an issue that prevents access to motion data for apps that use the Movement Disorder API to track tremors and symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Although we have seen the remarks from Rune Labs, we are yet to see any official remarks from Parky, the other tremor management app. Given that the app also leverages the movement disorder API, you may have to update your Apple Watch to the latest to mitigate any experience issues.
Apple’s Movement Disorder API has been a blessing for numerous third-party app makers who are trying to research numerous ways to make people’s lives easier, suffering from various movement disorders.
StrivePD, very recently updated their user experience significantly. According to Brian Pepin, CEO of Rune Labs, the app can now display real-time patterns and trends of Parkinson’s symptoms in-app alongside medication and exercise information for anyone with an Apple Watch.
Giving patients actionable data has revolutionized care in areas like diabetes, and this is a big next step toward building that solution for Parkinson’s. This is an important emerging area in the Digital Health space where Apple takes leadership. According to 2021 data, more than 55.8 million adults ages 65 and older live in the U.S., accounting for about 16.8% of the nation’s population.
The number of Americans ages 65 and older will more than double over the next 40 years, reaching 80 million in 2040. The number of adults ages 85 and older who most often need help with basic personal care, will nearly quadruple between 2000 and 2040. Digital health platforms that leverage wearables, such as the Apple Watch, will play a significant role in the years ahead.
