When do I wear the watch?
We get the highest quality data while patients sleep. If able, patients wear the watch during the day and night.
However, we recognize that some participants do not feel comfortable wearing it nightly. If this is the case, we ask that participants wear their Fitbit consistently and at the same time each day.
Will I be compensated for participating?
Patients are not paid for participating in Wearables and are asked to send their watch back to MGH, via a prepaid shipping label, at the end of their participation.
Patients who opt into our 5-year extension option are able to keep their Fitbit.
How do I synch my Fitbit?
Your watch synchs each time you open the Fitbit app. Synching your Fitbit should be done once a day to send your data to Case. To view a video tutorial of manually synching your Fitbit, please click here.
Will I be contacted if my biometric data suggests a complication?
Currently, we do not contact patients in real time regarding their biometric data. Please consult your doctor if you have questions about data seen on your Fitbit.
Do you call patients from personal cell phones?
Yes, we do call patients from our cell phones and provide our cell phone numbers to those participating. Using our cell phones allows us to contact and respond to all participants in a timely manner.
Who sees my biometric data?
De-identified biometric data is sent to Case Western for analytics and algorithm development.
Must I fill out all of the surveys?
We recognize that your time may be limited. If you are unable to complete all the surveys, we understand and instead ask that you fill the surveys out consistently in a frequency that works with your schedule (even if this means once a week).
Can the team see text messages if they appear on my Fitbit?
No, our team does not see any personal data besides specific biometrics sent to Case Western.
What is the 5-year extension?
Wearables participants have the opportunity to opt-into our 5-year extension program. Those in the extension continue to wear their watch for up to 5-years after their designated monitoring period. During this time, no additional surveys are sent. Patients can opt-out of the extension at any time point.