Ethics of Apple Watch’s “ResearchKit”

I predict that this will cause headaches for the committees in charge of approving research at universities and hospitals, and in ways that we can’t yet foresee. >>>

Apple’s new ResearchKit: ‘Ethics quagmire’ or medical research aid?

Apple’s ResearchKit sounds promising, in theory: the software platform is designed to let medical researchers create iPhone apps for their studies that will help them recruit participants — without said participants ever setting foot in the lab. Since recruiting patients is one of the most difficult steps in any study, this could be a significant boon to medical research.

The research apps are easy to download, and the Apple audience is very large; both are advantages for recruitment. But those things can also be ethical liabilities: both Apple and ResearchKit researchers will have to make extra efforts to ensure that participants are eligible for studies, that they are knowledgeable about the risks, and that their data is secure….