The accelerometer. The gyroscope. The proximity sensor. The heart-rate monitor. There are already all kinds of sensors packed into our phones, and phone-connected wearables, collecting data about what we’re doing and where we are at any given time.

Scary or fantastic, this is just the beginning. Our phones are going to pack in more and more sensors – and this means they’ll be able to play an ever-greater role in our healthcare, as the benefits of the various technologies are fully realised.

By being able to sense the environment, monitor our vitals and use frameworks like Apple’s CareKit, your phone will provide your doctor with more – and more accurate – information than ever before.

Sounds great, right? But while our phones will become one of our greatest healthcare allies, there are corresponding fears that our data could be stolen, and our medical records compromised.

So exactly what’s in the pipeline? How important will our phones become to our health? And what action is being taken to secure all that personal data?

Click here to read the full feature on Tech Radar.