The Importance of Data Quality Control in Using Fitbit Device Data From the Research Program

Wearable digital health technologies (DHTs) have become increasingly popular in recent years, enabling more capabilities to assess behaviors and physiology in free-living conditions. The All of Us Research Program (AoURP), a National Institutes of Health initiative that collects health-related information from participants in the United States, has expanded its data collection to include DHT data from Fitbit devices. This offers researchers an unprecedented opportunity to examine a large cohort of DHT data alongside biospecimens and electronic health records. However, there are existing challenges and sources of error that need to be considered before using Fitbit device data from the AoURP. In this viewpoint, we examine the reliability of and potential error sources associated with the Fitbit device data available through the AoURP Researcher Workbench and outline actionable strategies to mitigate data missingness and noise. We begin by discussing sources of noise, including (1) inherent measurement inaccuracies, (2) skin tone–related challenges, and (3) movement and motion artifacts, and proceed to discuss potential sources of data missingness in Fitbit device data. We then outline methods to mitigate such missingness and noise in the data. We end by considering how future enhancements to the AoURP’s Fitbit device data collection methods and the inclusion of new Fitbit data types would impact the usability of the data. Although the reliability considerations and suggested literature are tailored toward Fitbit device data in the AoURP, the considerations and recommendations are broadly applicable to data from wearable DHTs in free-living conditions.