Direct-to-consumer genetic testing firm 23andMe has a new pilot program in which it is asking customers to incorporate their medical histories and lab tests with their genetic data, according to CNBC. It adds that this service brings the firm into competition with Apple.
Through the pilot program, CNBC says 23andMe is asking a subset of its customers if they'd be willing to link their medical provider accounts through the third-party company Human API to their 23andMe accounts. The data would then be used for research and to improve 23andMe's health insights, it adds.
"It's a clever move," Ruby Gadelrab, a former 23andMe vice president who now runs a health-tech consulting service, tells CNBC. "For consumers, health data is fragmented and this is a step towards helping them aggregate more of it."
CNBC adds that Apple has been developing health record services, aggregating data into its iPhone Health app. But it notes that Apple's service lacks the genetic element, which it says could make what 23andMe is doing more interesting to some consumers.