Apple asking app developers to cite sources of medical information
Kevin Bostic
As iOS devices are increasingly used both by physicians and patients, Apple is apparently tightening regulations on developers that make health minded apps for those devices, requiring now that they fully indicate the sources from which they are drawing medical information.
Apple has reportedly begun sending notices to developers of medical apps containing references to drug dosages, informing those developers that they should provide detailed information on the sources from which they gathered information on dosing. This according to iMedicalApps, which posted one such notice on Wednesday.
Apple is apparently rejecting or postponing certain medical apps on the basis of "incomplete metadata" until the developers are able to fully detail the sources they used to generate certain advisory content in their apps. Developers will not have to submit new binaries in order to gain approval, but complete information on sourcing is required.
The move demonstrates the degree of seriousness with which Apple is addressing the potential for misinformation in medical apps. Apple's iPads and iPhones are becoming increasingly popular among both physicians and patients, and that fact has led to an explosion of medicine-related apps on the iOS platform.
The move may also inhibit plagiarism within the App Store, which is especially a problem among medical apps. The September issue of the British Medical Journal told the tale of three physicians accused of fully plagiarizing the Doctor's Guide to Critical Appraisal in their app. The doctors had titled their software "Critical APPraisal" when it was released in 2011.
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13 Comments
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Ok stopping plagiarism is one thing but also stopping crap being sold to people is equally important. I think this is only right. The last thing we need is snake oil in apps. Apple have to be watchful, or next we'll have southern baptists saying if you watch their in app TV station and send your life savings they'll cure you if you are lame or raise you from the dead.
I doubt very much that this is about plagiarism. What this is most likely about, is ensuring that app developers are not simply making stuff up and if something is inaccurate at least show where this inaccurate information was taken from. This is no different than Wikipedia or a science paper. Apple doesn't want to be held responsible for someone's death or injury, due to medical advice that wasn't based in a reputable or accepted source. This is actually good for developers, since when it is clear where this information comes from, medical experts can feel more comfortable about using the app professionally. At the same time, if you are dealing with medical data, then it would be worth the developer getting the app certified or validated by a third-party in the medical field. Bugs in certain types of apps can have more negative impact than others.
[quote name="ajmas" url="/t/159617/apple-asking-app-developers-to-cite-sources-of-medical-information#post_2400557"]I doubt very much that this is about plagiarism. What this is most likely about, is ensuring that app developers are not simply making stuff up and if something is inaccurate at least show where this inaccurate information was taken from. This is no different than Wikipedia or a science paper. Apple doesn't want to be held responsible for someone's death or injury, due to medical advice that wasn't based in a reputable or accepted source. This is actually good for developers, since when it is clear where this information comes from, medical experts can feel more comfortable about using the app professionally. At the same time, if you are dealing with medical data, then it would be worth the developer getting the app certified or validated by a third-party in the medical field. Bugs in certain types of apps can have more negative impact than others.[/quote] Totally agree.