Apple has introduced a test update to its Health app to help users access their medical records on their iPhones.

Patients from 12 different hospitals in the US will initially be able to view their medical records on their smartphones. "Our goal is to help consumers live a better day. We've worked closely with the health community to create an experience everyone has wanted for years -- to view medical records easily and securely right on your iPhone," Apple COO Jeff Williams said in a statement.

"By empowering customers to see their overall health, we hope to help consumers better understand their health and help them lead healthier lives," Williams said. The update to the Health app was made with the iOS 11.3 beta. The updated section brings together hospitals, clinics and the existing Health app to make it easy for consumers to see their available medical data from multiple providers whenever they choose, Apple said.

Johns Hopkins Medicine, Cedars-Sinai, Penn Medicine and other participating hospitals and clinics are among the first to make the beta feature available to their patients. In the past, patients' medical records were held in multiple locations, requiring patients to log into each care provider's website and manually piece together the information.

With the new update, consumers will have medical information from various institutions organised into one view covering allergies, conditions, immunisations, lab results, medications, procedures and vitals, and will receive notifications when their data is updated. Health Records data is encrypted and protected with the user's iPhone passcode, Apple said.

The update will also offer features such as giving users power to control their batteries, Augmented Reality (AR) upgrade and Animoji.

"This spring, iOS 11.3 will deliver exciting new ways to experience Augmented Reality on iPhone and iPad, new Animoji on iPhone X and the ability to view health records in the Health app," Apple said in a statement late on Wednesday.