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We reported recently that “With New FDA Guidance on Wearables, Focus Turns to Connecting Tech to Core Wellness Program.” Now Apple is getting into the game, and according to an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of Mobile App curriculum at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, “This is a much bigger deal than FDA guidance on regulation.”

iMedicalApps.com reports that “Apple will now start screening medical and health apps more closely.” This news continues our frequent look at ways to integrate technology into a well-run workplace wellness plan.

As Iltifat Husain, MD, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of iMedicalApps.com (in addition to his Wake Forest roles), writes: “Apple just released updated App Store Review Guidelines, and there are tremendous implications for the medical and health apps in the iOS App Store.

“The changes they are announcing contain the most stringent language I have ever seen Apple use for the health and medical categories of apps. Frankly — these are a long time coming. The FDA recently updated guidelines on health apps, but this is definitely a bigger deal as Apple is the gateway for these apps.”

For example: “In the past Apple has let slip dangerous health apps, such as Instant Blood Pressure — an application that promised to measure your blood pressure simply by using your iPhone’s camera and microphone. These apps often became the most downloaded health apps available, and studies showed how inaccurate they were. Apps such as Instant Blood Pressure would not get through the screening and review process under Apple’s new guidelines.”

Dr. Husain lists some of the guidelines for developers.

And why might this be even bigger news than the recently-released FDA guidelines? Writes Dr. Husain: “There is no way the FDA can regulate the hundreds of thousands of health and medical apps, and the updates made to them. The screening process is what has to change — and it seems like Apple is finally stepping up to the plate to do this.”