Choosing a commercially available wearable device for your research study
With so many options available, including Fitbit, Apple Watch, Garmin, Oura, and more, how do you decide which devices—and their corresponding digital biomarkers—are right for your study?
Wearable devices have gained significant popularity in clinical research due to their high scientific value and low participant burden. With a variety of commercially available wearable devices on the market, however, selecting a device to distribute for your research study can be challenging and overwhelming. These guiding principles for making such a selection cover three major categories of considerations: scientific priorities, the participant experience, and operational and protocol needs. We also discuss some specifics for a number of popular devices to help readers put these principles into practice.