Enabling Automatic Data Syncing Between Mobile App and Apple Health, Google Fit & Samsung Health


Client Background

A leader in medical device manufacturing for blood pressure and pain management. The company also provides healthcare solutions to enable healthcare infrastructure consisting of doctors, hospitals, patients, and healthcare support staff.

Project Overview

The primary requirement was to enable automatic data syncing between the client’s mobile app and Apple Health, Google Fit, and Samsung Health. The challenges faced included supporting multiple devices, mapping data attributes to the corresponding attributes in phone apps & automatic data sync. To overcome these, we used a standardized data mapping approach, designed a modular database design, used cloud-based storage & tested thoroughly to ensure quality results.

Business Requirements

Client wanted to enable the feature in the apps where users can sync data with Apple Health, Google, and Samsung Health from within the app automatically including:

  • Allowing users to send medical devices data paired within the app.
  • Allowing users to send data to the app from Health apps.

These were very useful features for various other apps to use medical device data in their apps.

Challenges

Client has multiple types of medical devices which support various types of vitals. They support Blood pressure, Body composition monitor, SPO2, Thermometer which support multiple types of vital data attributes.

  1. This requires mapping to the correct attributes of the phone apps.
  2. Handling cases to sync data automatically, handling data if a user deletes the app and syncing data from multiple apps.

Solution

Standardized data mapping
A standardized data mapping was used to map the different vital data attributes from the medical devices to the corresponding attributes in the phone apps.

Thorough analysis of the data attributes
Before mapping the data attributes, it is important to conduct a thorough analysis of the attributes supported by the medical devices and the phone apps.

Modular Database Design
Database was designed in such a way that it enabled flexibility and scalability to add new medical devices and data attributes easily integrated into the existing database structure without disrupting the existing system.

Cloud-based storage
Auto data synchronization and to ensure that user data is not lost if the app is deleted, we used cloud-based storage using background synchronization services. This allowed users to access their data from multiple devices and ensured that data is always backed up.

Testing
The app was tested at multiple stages, including unit testing, integration testing, functional testing, and user acceptance testing. Below were the main points that were considered:

  1. Synchronization mechanism: The synchronization mechanism was tested to ensure that it functioned correctly, and that data being transferred was accurate.
  2. Data consistency: The synchronization mechanism was tested to ensure that it functioned correctly, and that data being transferred was accurate.
  3. Data integrity: The data being synced was tested to ensure that it was transferred securely and that there were no errors or corruption in the data.

Results

Supporting a wide range of devices
The health app supported a broad range of health devices, including blood pressure monitors, activity trackers, weighing machines and more.

Providing a seamless user experience
The health app provides a seamless user experience, with easy device pairing, automatic data syncing, and intuitive data visualization and tracking.

Data analysis
The health app provides advanced data analysis features, such as trends and insights based on historical data, personalized health recommendations, and predictive analytics.

Integration with other health apps and services
The health app integrates with other health apps and services, fitness apps, to provide a more comprehensive view of the user’s health.

 

Deepesh Goel

Seasoned Technology leader with 25 years of diverse experience in delivering software products and solutions across connected healthcare, retail, and finance verticals serving large enterprises as well as nimble startups globally.