Investigators shouldn’t have to become technology experts to benefit from using mobile technologies in their studies. The Mobile Technologies Core provides resources and expertise to help investigators select technologies that meet their research objectives.
Collectively, these resources will assist investigators in selecting the most appropriate technologies for their project, streamline data collection, reduce data curation and aggregation costs, and prepare study teams to be successful in integrating mobile technologies into their research. Services will include introductions to appropriate University of Michigan and vendor entities, example contracts, and navigation of the University of Michigan processes. The following resources help investigators become familiar with capabilities of commonly used off-the-shelf devices currently being used in research.
Commonly used device specifications
- Apple Watch Model Comparison
- FitBit and Garmin Device Comparison Tool
- Polar H10 Heart Rate Chest Strap
- Oura Ring
- Stryd Running Trainer
Participant training assistance for study coordinators and their teams will focus on participant device education and best practices for communication with participants. To ensure data quality and completeness, standardized instructions will be available on app download and use, device pairing, device charging, and maximizing device effectiveness.
Device validation studies
- FitBit Validation Studies
- Past, Present, and Future of Multisensory Wearable Technology to Monitor Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
Mental health apps
With the flood of mental health apps available to anyone with a smartphone, the Division of Digital Psychiatry BIDMC used the American Psychiatry Association App Evaluation Model to develop a database to help investigators select apps based on criteria important to their study.
Mobile Health Index and Navigation Database
Study and data management platforms
Study and data management platforms offer a variety of tools to assist investigators with managing their study, monitoring participant adherence, communicating with participants, and receiving passive data from mobile devices. Features that are available within these platforms include:
- Remote study enrollment
- Development of study-specific mobile applications
- Electronic consent form and electronic signature capability
- Survey (Self-report) delivery and tracking
- EHR integration via patient portal
- Integration with mobile devices
- iOS active tasks
- Other integration (Google Fit or Apple Health)
- Context / response-specific alerts and messaging to users via email, SMS, or in-app*
- Customized research instruments (non-survey or active task)
- Investigator dashboard with research task compliance
- Real-time interventions
- Return of results to participants electronically
The list below is comprised of study and data management platforms that are used by Michigan investigators or are being considered for use in studies at Michigan. Contact the core team if there are other platforms we should include here.
| Platform | Summary of Platform per Vendor |
|---|---|
| Arbormoon | Arbormoon builds custom mobile software platforms for iOS and Android operating systems. |
| Aware | Aware is a framework dedicated to instrument, infer, log and share mobile context information by sensor instrumentation, for application developers, researchers and smartphone users. AWARE captures hardware-, software-, and human-based data from smartphones. The data is then analyzed using AWARE plugins. They transform data into information you can understand. |
| Evidation | We design, execute, and manage studies to help create actionable evidence in three key areas: Rapid Insights, Patient Insights, and Disease Insights. We engage individuals in their daily lives outside clinic walls through the use of person-generated health data (PGHD). You gain deeper understanding and actionable insights while also creating measures that matter to people. |
| Eureka | Eureka is a digital research platform, developed with NIH funding, designed to facilitate mobile and internet-based medical or health-related research. Mobile research is broadly defined as any research utilizing mobile applications (apps), sensors, connected devices, and / or the Internet, or for investigators seeking to leverage technology to enhance the efficiency of human subject-based research. The Eureka platform includes an engaging participant-facing “front-end”, a study management portal, a secure “back-end” for data storage and analysis, and a cohort of volunteers interested in contributing to research. |
| Fitabase | We’re here to help you use mobile health tools to measure, track, and engage your research participants. With Fitabase you can:
|
| Human API | We ingest and structure health data from everywhere and make it easy to use. a diversity of rich data is available for a comprehensive, holistic view of your patients. |
| MyDataHelps from CareEvolution | Accelerate recruitment and collect complete real-world participant data on one no-code platform, choosing only the modules you need. Securely manage all participant and project data in the interoperable MyDataHelps EDC & Data Repository. |
| REDCap | Redcap is a secure web application for building and managing online surveys and databases. |
| Researchkit from Apple | ResearchKit is an open source framework introduced by Apple that allows researchers and developers to create powerful apps for medical research. Easily create visual consent flows, real-time dynamic active tasks, and surveys using a variety of customizable modules that you can build upon and share with the community. And since ResearchKit works seamlessly with HealthKit, researchers can access even more relevant data for their studies - like daily step counts, calorie use, and heart rate. |
| SensorKit from Apple | Retrieve data and derived metrics from an iPhone’s sensors, or from a paired Apple Watch. Access to SensorKit data requires special permission from Apple. |