Researchers from Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston-based Harvard Medical School, University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, the University of Connecticut in Storrs and Fitbit teamed up to conduct the study.
Six things to know:
- Enrollment for the study began May 6, 2020, and by Oct. 1, 455,699 participants had enrolled.
- The algorithm uses near-continuous photoplethysmography to assess blood volume during waves of inactivity.
- Participants whose Fitbit detected an irregular heartbeat were invited to attend a telehealth visit with a third-party provider.
- Eligible participants were mailed a single-lead electrocardiographic patch monitor to assess if the results were similar to those of the Fitbit.
- Additional study objectives were to examine the validity of reports and files stored in the system’s tachogram — which lets users store and analyze captured Fitbit files — during sequences of heart rhythm detections.
- Other objectives include examining self-reported AF diagnosis, AF episode duration and time spent in AF.
