Presenting Author:

Anna Balabanova, M.D.

Principal Investigator:

Deborah Clements, M.D.

Department:

Family and Community Medicine

Keywords:

obesity, fitness, exercise, physical activity, wellness, FitBit, stress, quality of life, technology, communication

Location:

Third Floor, Feinberg Pavilion, Northwestern Memorial Hospital

PH4 - Public Health & Social Sciences

Patient Health Outcomes Impacted by Physician Utilization of Fitness-Tracking Technology

Purpose: Physical activity is a critical part of prevention and treatment of obesity and other serious health problems. This study aims to show whether physician monitoring of fitness tracker data results in a difference in compliance with daily recommended exercise and improved overall health and well-being, facilitates effective patient-physician communication, and allows physicians to provide personalized, data-driven fitness recommendations. Methods: Setting: Participants at 1 private and 1 federally qualified health clinic in the Chicago area receive the FitBit Charge HR for 12 weeks, and counseling concerning the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) exercise recommendations (150 min/week with a target heart rate of 50-70% of max heart rate). During the study, patients have 3 in-person follow-up visits. Design/Intervention: Prospective, randomized. The experimental group receives intervention in the form of weekly messages from their physician with feedback on their activity data, via the electronic medical record. The control group self-monitors activity. Measures/Main Outcomes include compliance with physical activity recommendations, validated survey responses, and changes in measurable health parameters including heart rate, weight, height, and vitals. Weekly activity is compared in randomized groups. Standard mean differences on validated surveys are used to compare heart health, sleep, motivation, energy levels, and mood. Results: 23 adult participants have been enrolled in the study at this time (100% response rate, 50% exposure, 50% control). Preliminary results of the Exercise Motivations Inventory indicate that top motivators for exercise are weight loss and to improve appearance (mean 2.5 on scale of -3 being “not at all true for me” and 3 being “very true for me,” 95% CI (2, 3)). The Perceived Stress Scale has revealed the majority of participants report a “high” 7/10 level of stress (27.6%) and are exercising less than 30 minutes per day (46.7%). Further survey results and comparative analyses pending. Conclusion: Patients have potential to experience numerous health benefits including weight loss, improved cardiovascular health, improvement in stress level, and increased overall quality of life. This research supports the shift toward personalized medicine by facilitating effective conversations about fitness data, and can provide new information on how patients’ health goals can be supported and advocated for by physicians.