Wearables Pilot Description

Attachment 4g - Wearables Pilot Description
Special Project on Wearable Devices
The NHIS collects data on a broad range of health topics through personal household interviews, but does not
collect objective health measurements. The ability to collect such data would allow for validation, improvement,
or replacement of related questionnaire survey items. Wearable or mobile health data collection devices are
increasingly being used in clinical and research environments as well as personal. This pilot project would
investigate the feasibility of incorporating objective measurements through the provision of wearable health
monitors to selected NHIS respondents. Before full implementation on the NHIS, information is needed in
several operational areas: measurement validity, data access and transfer, data storage, data processing, and
acceptability to respondents.
Respondent acceptability may be higher with a device that measures health indicators passively, rather than
requiring a respondent to actively turn on or otherwise engage with a device. Passive monitoring would require
informed consent from a respondent, but would not require additional time burden in answering questions. The
list of wearable health monitors that could be explored as passive data collection tools to collect objective
health measurements continues to grow. To date, possible measurements include: balance, cardiac rhythms,
cortisol, physical activity, posture, sedentary behavior, sleep, and weight. Objective health measurements would
enrich and complement the already detailed data on health behaviors and health care access obtained from
NHIS sample adults.
When done in conjunction with the NHIS sample adult interview, respondent burden for this project should be
minimal. Pending availability, respondents could have the opportunity to keep any device provided or be offered
a small incentive for participation, not to exceed $40.