Apple Watch ECG feature approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration

The Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods has approved Apple Watch ECG feature, now the company can officially release the ECG app and irregular heart rhythm notifications feature on the smartphone in the country.

Apple Watch’s ECG feature was introduced in the Apple Watch Series 4 in 2018 in select regions. As it is a health feature, Apple Watch ECG requires approval from a country’s medical authority to launch in the respective region. Therefore, its rollout has been gradual and recently it was expanded to Japan, Mayotte, the Philippines, and Thailand. With local authorities giving the go-ahead to add the irregular rhythm notification feature, signs of it being tested in Australia have emerged.

Apple Watch ECG feature approved in Australia

As reported by EFTM, the documents seen by them show that Apple Watch’s irregular rhythm notifications feature has been approved and included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. This proves that the Cupertino tech giant has been submitting its software and devices to Australian regulatory authorities for approval, however, this does not indicate that the ECG function has been medically certified for use in Australia.

EFTM can report that the Australian Government’s Department of Health run Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the Irregular Rhythm Notification Feature of the Apple Watch and added it to the ARTG – the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods which allows that to be used in Australia.

ECG app and heart rhythm alerts on Apple Watch are useful for detecting early signs of disease, Atrial fibrillation is a health condition that mostly goes undiagnosed. ECG readings often require a full ECG machine and a visit to the doctor, which is far less convenient than taking a reading with the Apple Watch.

The irregular rhythm notification feature continuously checks heart rhythm in the background and sends a notification if an irregular heart rhythm is discovered that could potentially be atrial fibrillation. As soon as a notification is received, users can launch the ECG app and perform a more comprehensive test in just 30 seconds by putting their finger on the Digital Crown to produce an ECG waveform.

Apple Watch and its ECG feature have already proven to save lives and the availability of the technology in Australia is something that can not come soon enough. Once the feature is made official, hypothetically the users of Apple Watch Series 6, Series, 5, or Series 4 will be able to take advantage of it.

Apple Watch ECG feature approved in Australia

Usman Hussain

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