Is It the Drug Or Fitbit Making the Difference?

As if clinical researchers and managers didn’t already have enough to worry about, now add activity trackers to the list.

Smartwatches, Fitbits and similar trackers have the potential to influence behavior, which matters in studies where physical activity is a study endpoint. (An endpoint in a clinical study is an event used to objectively measure the effect of a drug or other intervention.)

If the level of activity is an endpoint in a study of, say, a drug to improve fatigue, researchers need to be able to say that it is the drug that has made the difference. But anyone who has ever used a Fitbit or other activity tracker know how engaging – addicting, even – they can be. They prod you to get in that 10,000 steps with encouraging messages like, “Only 789 steps to reach your goal.”

As an article on the Clinical Research News website says, “Use of the devices could result in ‘activity peaks’ and ‘activity plateaus’ driven not by drug efficacy but as a response to the smartwatch/fitness tracker targets.”

In other words, who’s to say the increased physical activity was the result of the drug or the tracker prodding?

Before commercial trackers became so ubiquitous, researchers gave study volunteers devices that accumulated the data, but without making it visible to them. Commercial trackers make everything visible.

Besides simply counting steps, sophisticated wearables measure all sorts of activity related variables like heart rate, duration, intensity, distance, sleep and more. Because participants in studies of physical activity are able to see this data they can skew the results by working to reach targets and earn badges.

The authors of the article – “The Potential Of Activity Trackers To Bias Study Results” – suggest a number of measures researchers can take to mitigate the influence of these devices including prohibiting participants from wearing them, establishing baseline physical activity levels and choosing endpoints less likely to be influenced by the trackers.

Ultimately, the writers say, “Additional research is needed in this arena… More certain is that the unblinding of study data could have far-reaching if unintended consequences by introducing bias into the data analysis process.”

Photo by Andres Urena on Unsplash

How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce
General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Alexis Schumacher
Accounting + Finance General Interest Green Key News Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Alexis Schumacher

Women in Leadership at GKR
General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

Women in Leadership at GKR

Spain Becomes First European Country to Offer Paid Menstrual Leave
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Worklife

Spain Becomes First European Country to Offer Paid Menstrual Leave

Green Key Unlocked: Benefits of Travel Nursing
General Interest Green Key News Healthcare Worklife

Green Key Unlocked: Benefits of Travel Nursing

How to Maintain Culture in Remote Environments
Architecture + Engineering General Interest Green Key News Worklife

How to Maintain Culture in Remote Environments

Tips to Strengthen Time Management
General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

Tips to Strengthen Time Management

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Katie Kressel
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Professional Support Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Katie Kressel

Workplace Trends 2023
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Worklife

Workplace Trends 2023

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Jason Kien
Accounting + Finance General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Jason Kien

How to Use ChatGPT to Build a Resume
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Marketing Technology Worklife

How to Use ChatGPT to Build a Resume

Green Key Unlocked: Data Roles in IT
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Worklife

Green Key Unlocked: Data Roles in IT

The New Marketing & Sales Team
Marketing Technology

The New Marketing & Sales Team

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Matt Schirano
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Leadership + Management Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Matt Schirano

Green Key Unlocked: The Effect of Tech Layoffs
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Leadership + Management Worklife

Green Key Unlocked: The Effect of Tech Layoffs

How to Prepare for a Recruiter Interview with a Staffing Agency
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Worklife

How to Prepare for a Recruiter Interview with a Staffing Agency

5 Ways to Make Your Job More Meaningful
General Interest Green Key News Worklife

5 Ways to Make Your Job More Meaningful

Minimum Wage Increases in 2023
Accounting + Finance Architecture + Engineering Financial Services General Interest Green Key News Healthcare Human Resources Information Technology Leadership + Management Legal Support Marketing Technology Pharma Professional Support Worklife

Minimum Wage Increases in 2023

2023 Recruitment Trends
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Worklife

2023 Recruitment Trends

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Carissa Iacona
General Interest Green Key News Marketing Technology Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Carissa Iacona

Latest Blog Posts
View All Posts
How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce

How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce

Establishing an inclusive culture and focusing on employee health can boost productivity, encourage teamwork, and increase better communication.
Read More
#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Alexis Schumacher

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Alexis Schumacher

Her natural ability to communicate, along with some professional experience in public relations and outreach, has allowed her to flourish...
Read More
Women in Leadership at GKR

Women in Leadership at GKR

Although being a woman in a leadership role comes with its challenges, those at Green Key also note the feelings...
Read More