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Activity Tracking Device Boosts Confidence in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

by Julia Samuel on Apr 18 2015 3:07 PM

Activity Tracking Device Boosts Confidence in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis
Wearable activity tracking devices for patients with Multiple sclerosis (MS) can be used to collect and share their mobility data to their clinicians.
Dr.Richard Rudick, Vice president, Value Based Medicine, Biogen said, “MS impairs the ability to walk for many people with MS, yet we only assess walking ability in the limited time a patient is in the doctor’s office. Consumer devices can measure number of steps, distance walked, and sleep quality on a continuous basis in a person’s home environment. These data could provide potentially important information to supplement office visit exams.”

The study was conducted to assess the feasibility of using a consumer wearable device to monitor activity among people with MS in a real-world setting. Fitbit One™ activity trackers were provided to 248 subjects. The three-week study showed that participants took a total of 15 million steps and walked 6,820 miles, the distance from Boston to Beijing.

“I got positive reinforcement to do more each day, and that really encouraged me. The Fitbit also allowed me to track what I was eating and how I was sleeping. I made more positive choices as a result,” said Annette Smiling, a study participant who had never used a wearable activity tracker before.



Source-Medindia


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