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Establishing Linkages Between Distributed Survey Responses and Consumer Wearable Device Datasets: A Pilot Protocol
Julia E Brinton1, Mike D Keating1, Alexa M Ortiz1
1RTI International, Durham, NC, United States.
JMIR Research Protocols
|April 29, 2017
Summary
This study developed a remote data collection protocol linking survey responses with wearable activity tracker data. This enables large-scale health research using consumer devices.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Biomedical Informatics
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- Increasing use of wearable technology for health monitoring.
- Need for remote data collection to reduce research costs and improve participant access.
- Challenges in integrating consumer wearable data with traditional research methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- Develop and validate a protocol for remote data collection from consumer wearable devices.
- Establish a reliable linkage between self-reported health data and objective biometric data.
- Create a de-identified, linked dataset for future large-scale health research.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 30 participants using Fitbit activity trackers via Mechanical Turk Prime.
- Collected online self-administered questionnaires on health status.
- Utilized Fitabase to access 1 month retrospective and 1 month prospective Fitbit data.
Main Results:
- Successfully established a protocol for linking remotely sourced survey responses with de-identified consumer wearable device data.
- Refined methods for data linkage and participant management in a digital health research context.
Conclusions:
- The refined protocol supports scalable collection and linkage of health datasets.
- Enables integration of consumer wearable data into cross-sectional and prospective cohort studies.
- Facilitates remote health research, enhancing feasibility and reach.
