Fitbit Update Doubles Down on Health Data

Fitbit has released an update that’s designed to provide patients with a more comprehensive, data-driven view of their health, the company announced today.

Fitbit OS 3.0 — for Fitbit Ionic, Fitbit Ionic: Adidas Edition and Fitbit Versa smartwatches — gives users more insights into data related to sleep and exercise. The update also establishes a log for weight and water intake. The tech could ultimately arm not just patients but also their physicians and providers with health data that have largely been disparate.

Users also have access to 10 new apps that Fitbit claims will deliver enhanced health and fitness experiences. The apps offer insights and guidance to help track users’ progress and motivate them to improve their health and fitness.

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The update has four new brand apps and clock faces in the Fitbit Featured App Gallery — Achu Health, Couch to 5K, Genius Wrist and MySwimPro.

Achu Health features illness prediction technology. Couch to 5K uses data, including distance and calories burned, to provide insights and training programs for races. Genius Wrist has four workout-based apps that provide exercise and visualization tools for the user. MySwimPro has guided swim workouts and uses real-time heart rate information to help swimmers improve, using post-workout analytics that pull data to track progress and measure improvement.

Fitbit also announced that new apps will be released in 2019, all of which use and track fitness and wellness data.

“We are excited to announce these software and app updates as they provide Fitbit smartwatch users with more ways to take action based on their personal data to achieve their health and fitness goals,” said Jon Oakes, senior vice president of product at Fitbit.

How these new tools might affect the flood of patient-generated data entering health systems, hospitals and physicians’ offices is not clear, but experts have said that devices like Fitbit and the Apple Watch are helping to drive data-driven conversations in the clinic. Some observers consider this a win for health and patient empowerment, while others bemoan the potential for false positives and information overload.

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