How to prevent negative effects of behavioral change during data collection

More and more research studies and patient monitoring programs are utilizing consumer wearables to track and analyze activity and health information. For instance, patients are being monitored after a surgery or an intervention group is analyzed during a timeframe where performing specific trainings or other measures.

However, handing out a consumer wearable to users can lead to unwanted side effects. Particularly participants that are not used to a wearable will suddenly gain new insights into their activity and health profile. Experience and studies show that this leads to either an increase in personal activity or increase in stress/worries about the health information that has become transparent. Such a change in behaviour is very counterproductive and can negatively influence the quality of data collected and ultimately make study results useless.

To prevent such a behavioural changes during data collections, the Fitrockr platform provides features to disclose activity and health information from the participants. This includes both, hiding information on the device and on the Fitrockr mobile app.