OBJECTIVE: Assess the feasibility of using consumer wearable devices to monitor activity amongst people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a real-world setting.
BACKGROUND: Mobility impairment impacts the majority of MS patients, yet quantified assessment of walking ability is limited to the clinical setting. Consumer devices can measure number of steps and distance walked on a continuous basis in a patient’s home environment. These data could provide potentially important information about the impact of MS on patient mobility over time to supplement office physician assessments.
DESIGN/METHODS: 248 members of the PatientsLikeMe (PLM) MS community were recruited to participate in a study deploying Fitbit One™ activity trackers. Devices were mailed to participants with instructions on activation and authorization of data sharing between the manufacturer and PLM. Data were collected for a period of 3 weeks, and patients were asked to complete a survey to provide feedback on their experiences with the device. Information on patient demographics and level of self-reported functional disability were captured from the participant’s PLM profile.
RESULTS: 82[percnt] of participants linked their activity data with PLM and 77[percnt] of participants completed the end of study survey. MS patients walked an average of 4671 steps/day (SD=2639), and mobility parameters correlated with walking disability severity (r=-0.44, p<0.00001) as reported by patients using the MSRS scale. Participants synced data on average 18.21/21 days (86[percnt] adherence). 82[percnt] of participants responding to the survey positively rated the use of a wearable activity tracker as a way to monitor and manage their condition.
CONCLUSIONS: This study successfully established a framework for the rapid and effective deployment of activity tracking devices to MS patients and subsequent data collection. The study also revealed a high degree of patient interest and perceived value in using activity tracking devices to help patients manage their MS.
Supported by: Biogen Idec Disclosure: Dr. McIninch has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as an employee. Dr. Datta has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as an employee. Dr. DasMahapatra has received personal compensation for activities with PatientsLikeMe as an employee. Dr. Chiauzzi has received personal compensation for activities with PatientsLikeMe as an employee. Dr. Bhalerao has received personal compensation for activities with PatientsLikeMe as an employee. Dr. Spector has received personal compensation for activities as PatientsLikeMe as an employee. Dr. Goldstein has received personal compensation for activities with PatientsLikeMe as an employee. Dr. Morgan has received personal compensation for activities with PatientsLikeMe as an employee. Dr. Relton has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec as an employee.