Apple has launched a new software framework called ResearchKit devoted to offering medical researchers, facilities and scientists a new way to extract data from people around the world.

It's one of the first frameworks able to collect data from millions of samples, utilizing the power of the iPhone to take basic data like walking, running, heart-rate and breathing, and combining it with simple tests available on the iOS Apps Store.

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These tests will allow anyone in the world to give health information to these medical facilities, which in turn gives them a huge sample size, larger than any normal medical facility.

"Numbers are everything. The more people who contribute their data, the bigger the numbers, the truer the representation of a population, and the more powerful the results." said Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, American Heart Association.

"A research platform that allows large amounts of data to be collected and shared -- that can only be a positive thing for medical research."

Apple is partnering with a number of medical facilities to make this possible and is even making ResearchKit open source so any company can utilize the advantages.

This could be a major step in medical research and ties into Apple's continued focus on health and fitness.

Apple outlined how making people healthier is part of the goal of the iPhone and Apple Watch. Giving the information to medical professionals is the first big step in achieving global change.

Apple launched five apps for researchers that test for Parkinson's, breast cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and asthma. It expects more apps to come onto the iPhone and iPad next year

"We can't continue to treat people with a one-size-fits-all approach," said Dr. Patricia A. Ganz, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health.

"The kind of data that ResearchKit will provide may be very useful in helping us understand serious diseases and what individuals can do to hasten recovery."

ResearchKit is already available in iOS 8.1.2 and developers will start integrating the new service. It might take some time before we see any real developments in this field considering the magnitude of information medical facilities might obtain.

TagsResearchKit, medical research, iPhone, iOS 8.1.2