Fitbit Integration
Enhancing your research using wearable technology
Leveraging wearables such as Fitbit can provide numerous advantages in conducting ecological momentary assessments.
Fitbit offers APIs that allow ExpiWell to access a wide range of data, including activity levels, sleep patterns, heart rate variability, and more. This data holds significant value for research endeavors, particularly those centered on physical activity, sleep quality, and holistic well-being.
Here is a comprehensive guide on how to collect Fitbit data through ExpiWell, whether linking participants' personal Fitbit devices or utilizing Fitbit devices owned by your research lab.
For Researchers:
-Create a new project and navigate to the 'Integration' tab.
-Toggle 'Fitbit Device' and choose the specific data types you wish to collect.
For Participants:
-Enter the project access code and enroll in the project. You will receive a notification of the project's Fitbit data requirement, click 'continue.'
-Upon clicking 'continue', you will be taken to the Fitbit login page.
-Log in using an existing Fitbit account or continue with a Google Account. Please note that A Google Account is required to activate new Fitbit devices released after the launch of Google Accounts for Fitbit. Existing users have the option to use either a Google Account or their existing Fitbit account until at least 2025 at which point they will be required to use a Google Account for login.
-After successfully logging in to your Fitbit account, you can choose which kind of data you allow ExpiWell to collect from your Fitbit.
-Select all the data you that you allow ExpiWell to collect, and click 'Allow'.
-6 month membership included with a new device purchase: If you recently purchased a Fitbit tracker or smartwatch, your device comes with a 6 month Premium membership. You can start your Fitbit Premium membership directly in the mobile app. When you set up your device, you’ll be prompted to start your Fitbit Premium subscription. Please see below what are the additional features that are included in the Fitbit Premium.
-Please ensure to wear your device for at least a full day, including to sleep at night to successfully collect the data (Note: skin temperature requires 3 nights of data).
-Data can be accessed through the 'Insights Tab' > 'Fitbit Data' > 'Download' in the ExpiWell platform, available in an Excel format for analysis.
Sample data file...
Overall, integrating Fitbit with ExpiWell can enrich your research initiatives by providing real-time health and activity data, fostering participant engagement, and enabling in-depth data analysis for valuable research insights.
Additionally, we prioritize protecting participants' privacy, ensuring the security and authenticity of collected data, so we are in adherence with the data security measures of HIPAA and GDPR.
FAQS
Can Fitbit data be collected continuously throughout the project, even if participants do not respond to surveys?
- Yes, Fitbit data can be collected daily throughout the project duration, regardless of participants' survey responses. Participants need to reopen the ExpiWell mobile app for data collection. If participants log out of their Fitbit account or experience disconnections, they will receive a prompt to reconnect when they reopen the ExpiWell app.
Does battery-saving mode impact Fitbit's syncing capabilities?
- No, battery-saving mode does not disrupt Fitbit syncing if data is already synced with Fitbit, as we fetch data directly from the Fitbit API.
Is it possible to collect Fitbit data passively without opening the ExpiWell mobile app?
- No, passive data collection without app interaction is not feasible because the Fitbit APIs we use for data collection require app interaction.
What happens if a participant forgets to open their ExpiWell mobile app?
- Upon reopening the app, you can still collect data from previous days. For example, if a participant misses days 2 and 3 but opens the app on day 4, data for days 2, 3, and 4 can be downloaded.
Which variables are affected if Fitbit is not worn during a sleep period?
- If Fitbit is not worn during sleep, variables like HRV, Breathing Rate, Sleep, and Heart Rate Time Series data will be empty because Fitbit requires a minimum 3-hour sleep period to track these metrics.
Can HRV data be collected during the workday (e.g., early morning, midday, early afternoon, and late afternoon)?
- Based on Fitbit's documentation, HRV data collection is dependent on at least 3 hours of sleep, making it unavailable during the workday.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to john@expiwell.com
Related Articles
UNIX Timestamps
How to Use the UNIX Timestamps Unix timestamp is a way to track time as a running total of seconds. It should also be pointed out that this point in time technically does not change no matter where you are located on the globe. In ExpiWell, you can ...