Millions of Americans trying to lose weight are responsible for wearing wireless activity trackers, but what if your Fitbit data was shared with your doctor?
A small pilot study at UMass Chan Medical School explores how data from patient wearable devices can be effectively integrated into electronic health records to help healthcare providers set and monitor patients’ physical activity goals. Determined.
“Most people think we need to hit 10,000 steps a day to have a positive health effect, but that’s just an increase above our baseline, and that’s what it means. And because as part of someone’s routine clinical care, people really care what their providers say to them. , which may have a positive effect.
The pilot study, led by Jeevarathna Subramanian, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, and Dr. Faro, was supported by a $25,000 grant from the UMass Chan Outpatient Research Consortium.
Patients selected for this study will be fitted with Fitbits, synced with the Apple HealthKit mobile app, and sent to an electronic medical record in the patient portal.
Dr. Subramanian said: “Improved physical activity reduces the risk of several chronic diseases, including weight management.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides guidance on the amount of physical activity required for adults of all ages.
Research will be conducted remotely. The main focus is to track the number of steps each patient takes in her day. According to Faro, this is an easy metric to show to providers and track over time. As part of the study, researchers will determine how providers will receive notifications about patient device data, how often they will communicate with patients about the data, and how they will provide goal-setting strategies for patients moving forward.
The researchers plan to recruit a diverse patient population.
“Patient populations are poorly represented in this type of study. We want to understand,” says Faro.
The study begins in February and continues through November. Her Nina Rosano, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and one of her co-investigators on her pilot program, plans to develop the next trial. This trial may include behavioral support when healthcare providers and patients use wearable devices as part of their routine care.
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