A study by a team of researchers from Biogen and PatientsLikeMe to quantify physical activity of patients with multiple sclerosis between doctor appointments released some details on the patient experience of the study. It found the experience resonated with many of the participants keen to use the FitBit One to monitor their own activity. Participants were sourced from PatientsLikeMe’s online patient community. The research team plans to present its findings at the American Academy of Neurology meeting next week.
The 248 MS patients who took part in the study each received a kit containing the tracker, and a guide for configuring the device provided by PatientsLikeMe, as well as a contact for assistance.
Participants synced an average 18.21 days of data over the 21-day study and had an 87 percent adherence rate. They walked an average of 4,671 steps per day. Younger participants tended to climb more stairs, and those with higher body mass indices tended to take fewer steps. Older patients tended to have higher walking ability scores.
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Despite concerns about accuracy and consistency of the FitBits, most of the 191 people who responded to the post-study had a positive experience and many said they would continue to use FitBits even though only 5 percent of the participants had used one prior to the study.
About 88 percent of survey respondents said the device was easy to use and incorporate into their daily routine; 83 percent agreed that they would continue to use the device after the study; and 68 percent believed that the device would be useful to them in managing their MS.
Although it’s not exactly the same as recruiting patients for a clinical trial of a drug, it’s worth noting that it only took 24 hours to identify 248 participants in the study. That should be very encouraging for other companies looking to do similar studies. Equally important, the study found adherence to be strong.
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