Apple detailed plans to launch a Research app, through which users will be able to contribute to medical studies on heart, hearing and women’s health.

The company said the studies will be conducted in collaboration with leading medical institutions and healthcare organisations including the US-based National Institutes of Health; American Heart Association; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Brigham and Women’s Hospital; University of Michigan; and World Health Organisation.

Apple’s heart and movement study will analyse how heart rate and mobility indicators such as walking pace correlate to hospitalisations, falls and heart health. The auditory study will explore how exposure to everyday sounds impacts hearing, and a women’s health study aims to determine how data about menstrual cycles and gynecological conditions can be used to inform screening and risk assessments covering infertility, osteoporosis and menopause, among others.

The move builds on Apple’s launch of its ResearchKit and CareKit platforms in 2015 and 2016, which it used as the basis for a previous heart study in 2017.

Apple COO Jeff Williams stated the 2017 study showed the company it could “positively impact medical research,” adding the new research “carries our commitment to health even further by engaging with participants on a larger scale than ever before”.

During a recent launch event, Apple VP of Health Sumbul Desai emphasised users will be in control of data shared via the app, adding: “Apple cannot access any information that directly identifies you”.

The app will be available as a free download later this year.