At Evidation, we’re all about encouraging our members to actively participate in their health. One way to do that is by participating in health research. 

In order for the information gathered during a study to represent and benefit everyone, it’s important that the individuals who are participating in that research are truly representative of society.  

When research is fully representative it contributes to health insights that have the potential to improve lives. Not the lives of a few, but the lives of all. 

‍But you might be wondering…

Whether or not you should participate is a personal choice that only YOU can make, but hopefully the information here and in the rest of our Research 101 series can help provide some useful information to help you make an informed decision. 

How do I get offered a research opportunity on Evidation?

In general, finding the right research opportunity can be difficult. There are so many studies and knowing which ones are right for you can be especially challenging. At Evidation, we try to make it easier by matching you with research opportunities we feel are likely to be a good match for you - based on what you tell us of yourself and your preferences.

So, before we can match you with study opportunities, we need to learn more about you. This helps us find opportunities that are relevant to you.

And because we know that one way doesn't work for everyone, you have several choices about what information you share and how you choose to share that information. 

And you always have the right to change those choices or to opt out of any of our surveys or offers.

Tell us about yourself

Currently, there are three ways you can tell us more about yourself. You can share information through any or all of these. The more you’re comfortable sharing, the higher the chances that we can find the right research opportunities for you.

‍1. Complete Surveys

Surveys are a quick way to tell us about who you are and about your individual health journey. These surveys take an average of about 1-5 minutes to complete, and you earn points just for filling them out! The points you earn can be redeemed for cash or donated to a variety of charities.

‍2. Connect your health apps/devices

If you’re currently using health apps and/or devices, you can connect these to your Evidation account. This way you can earn points for some of the activities you’re already doing and create additional opportunities to participate in research. 

‍How does pairing an app or a device help with research opportunities?

Some research studies are interested in information like how many steps individuals walk in a day or how your pain levels affect your sleep. If you have a device that provides that information (for example, a smartphone, a Fitbit, or an Apple Watch), you’re more likely to qualify for that particular study.

‍3.) Respond to 1-click offers

One-click offers are a fast, easy way to tell us more about yourself. Typically, we ask Yes or No questions about your health and other personal information. Again, the more we know about you, the better chance we have of helping you find information and research opportunities that are relevant to you!

To learn more about how we protect the information you share, click here. 

How do I get matched with a research opportunity?

Our expert team analyzes the data you provide and matches you with opportunities you may be interested in or eligible for[link in article 5]. Some examples of what we look at are your age, your health factors, etc.

When we find an opportunity that we think you may be eligible for (and interested in), we send you an offer!

What happens once I get an offer to participate? 

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When we send you a research participation offer, we’ll include information about the study, the topic, and the study commitments. Once you receive this offer and information, there are a few steps you need to take to help determine if the study is right for you.

‍Step 1: Decide if you’re interested 

• Read about the topic of the research.
• Understand the time commitment and activities involved.
• Review the guidelines to see if you feel you’re eligible.

‍Step 2: Complete the eligibility survey

• Answer questions to confirm that you’re eligible to participate in the research. Learn more about eligibility here.

‍Step 3: Provide your consent

• Read and sign the informed consent. You can learn more about informed consent here.

‍Step 4: Start participating in activities.

• Activities will vary from study to study, but typical examples include answering questions, at-home test kits, wearing an activity tracker, using an app or device, and so on.

Why should I participate in research?

People participate in research for a variety of reasons. Some want their voices to be counted, others want to contribute to better health outcomes for themselves and others. Whatever your personal reasons for participating, being a part of health-related research can have a lasting impact.  

But don’t take it from us -- here’s a breakdown of what over 36,000 participants said about why they chose to join our recent COVID-19 Experience Study:

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What kind of support can I expect if I participate?

Our team is here to help you through the research participation process. We have a dedicated team of individuals (the Participant Support Team) who are here to make the experience as easy and comfortable as possible.

‍Some of our support features include:‍

• Answering questions about the study
• Helping with the enrollment process
• Providing technical or troubleshooting support for most study activities 
• Assisting with payment inquiries

Want to know more about any of our Evidation Studies and how to get involved? Reach out to us at study@evidation.com and one of our friendly team members can help you get started. 

If you want additional general information on health research, we recommend checking out the following public resources: 

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Human Research Protections
• FDA, Clinical Trials and Human Subject Protection
• National Institutes of Health (NIH), Educational Resources
• Clinical Research Resource HUB, Resources for Participants

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Welcome back to our Research 101 Series! In this article, we’re going to talk about why research is important and the impact it has on the world.

Why is Health Research Important?

Health research is necessary in order for doctors and scientists to better understand and improve health. 

Research plays an important role in learning how to prevent and treat illnesses and has the potential to help improve care for people around the world.

Treatments for heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and most recently the development of the COVID-19 vaccines are just a few examples of how research has positively impacted communities. 

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Think about the last time you went to the doctor's office for treatment or received medication — the care you received all started with research!

The Impact of Evidation Studies

At Evidation (formerly Achievement) Studies, we like to engage in impactful, valuable research. 

We do this because we want everyone to be able to participate in better health outcomes. Our studies are powerful because we measure health in everyday life and offer individuals the opportunity to participate in ground-breaking research. 

Decentralized research

The majority of our research is decentralized, which means people can participate in studies from wherever they are. This is different from traditional research which frequently requires participants to travel to a doctor’s office, hospital, or other clinical setting. The time and cost of such travel makes it too difficult for many people to participate.

Why does this matter? 

It means more people have access to research opportunities. Individuals who typically wouldn’t be able to participate in clinical research at big hospitals and universities now have the opportunity to join an online study from the comfort of their home, through decentralized research. 

Our enrollment process is easy

Enrollment is one of the most slow and difficult parts of clinical research. In fact, many trials or programs can’t enroll enough participants to meet the goals of the study. 

We’re different because we’re able to enroll people remotely. Making the process easier and more accessible to a wider variety of people.

Person-Generated Health Data (PGHD) 

We use person-generated health data in our studies. This means that we use data (information) generated by you on a day-to-day basis to conduct research. This can include data from surveys, lab tests, wearables, sensors, apps, and much more! 

By using PGHD in our studies, we’re able to look at much more everyday data such as heart rate and activity levels, or health history and lifestyle choices reported directly by you.  

Data Privacy

We take your privacy very seriously. Above all, our participants come first, so we do everything we can to make sure we earn trust through honest and ethical practices. We do not sell your data and will never share your data without your permission. We’re committed to making sure you understand how your data is being used. 

When we do share research results, all personal information is removed or de-identified and aggregated. That means it’s combined with other participants’ results, and your name and other identifying information is removed and never linked to study results. You can find our full Privacy Notice here.

How can I get involved?

Given how important research is, we encourage everyone to get involved in a way that’s best for them. For example, you can get involved in health research by participating directly in a study, donating money to research programs, spreading the word about different studies you hear about, or sharing this article with someone you know.

Want to know more about any of our Evidation Studies and how to get involved? Reach out to us at study@evidation.com and one of our friendly team members can help you get started. 

If you want additional general information on health research, we recommend checking out the following public resources: 

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Human Research Protections
• FDA, Clinical Trials and Human Subject Protection
• National Institutes of Health (NIH), Educational Resources
• Clinical Research Resource HUB, Resources for Participants

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a huge toll on just about every aspect of our lives. We’ve all been affected financially, emotionally, and physically. And the risk to our long-term health and wellbeing is significant. 

So much attention has been given to the physical, emotional, and financial impact of both the illness and the restrictions that have been put into place for public safety. And we know that our activity patterns and lifestyles have changed drastically. 

To really get a sense of how these changes have impacted our members and your activity levels, we took a look at average daily step counts before and during the pandemic. 

We looked at Fitbit step counts for 74,000 Evidation Members from October 1, 2018 to January 31, 2022. 

What we found wasn’t really surprising, but it did leave us with a few questions. 

Has Covid-19 Affected Step Counts?

We looked at the average daily step counts of our members during the last week in January for the two years of the current coronavirus pandemic (2021 & 2022) and the same week in the previous two years. 

As you can see in the chart below, step counts were much lower (around 800 steps per day) during the pandemic than before.

But, step counts always tend to go down over the holidays. That’s why we pulled steps from the last week in January, when they traditionally go back to pre holiday levels.

So, to be sure the decrease wasn’t caused solely by the holidays, we compared the step counts from January (shown above) to those in early October, before the holiday dip. 

Since we also see an increase in COVID cases (and fear of COVID-related risks) during the holidays, we wanted to know what effect that might have on established patterns. 

Is the drop in steps because of COVID? Or just because of the holidays?

Some of the decrease in steps is due to the holidays. But if we compare the levels to prior years, we can see that the past two Januarys (2021 and 2022), which were heavily impacted by the coronavirus, had a much bigger decrease in steps compared to a baseline taken in October of the previous year.

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As you can see from the chart below, we see dips in step counts during the holidays in all four years (before and during COVID). 

But, the step counts are lower in general from 2020 to 2022 than in preCOVID years. And, when they dip for the holidays, they take longer to get back to preholidays levels during 2020-2022 compared to preCOVID years. 

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We can also see that the drop in steps starting late December 2022 matches with the Google Trends interest score for the search term "COVID" which peaked in January 2022.

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That means that worry about COVID and COVID-related interest peaked at the same time the step counts were at their lowest point. 

Are vaccinated people taking more steps?

Since it seems that concern over COVID is related to the decrease in steps, we wanted to understand if people who are vaccinated or live in areas where more of the population is vaccinated are moving more. 

What we found is that while step counts are lower overall than in preCOVID years, regardless of vaccination rates, states with higher vaccination rates tend to have higher step counts on average. 

What does that mean?

It means that people in states with higher vaccination rates are walking more than those in states with lower vaccination rates, but still not as much as they were before the pandemic. 

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Why are step counts lower during Covid?

We can’t know for certain why people are moving less during COVID, but there is no shortage of information out there on the subject. 

More people are staying home, avoiding public places like the gym or large events. Many are still not leaving their homes except for when absolutely necessary. Some are dealing with mental health or financial challenges that may impact their ability to find the motivation to match their previous levels of activity. 

What is certain is that while step counts always fluctuate based on a variety of factors, the current pandemic is definitely having an impact as well, whatever the reason. 

In an earlier article called “What is Health Research?”, we shared some brief general information about what health research is and what it looks like. Now, let’s cover the types of research studies that Evidation Studies (formerly Achievement Studies) focuses on.

What types of Studies can people participate in? 

There are several ways you can participate in research with Evidation Studies, including:

Single Surveys 

Yes! It is as simple as it sounds. We often ask our participants to answer just a single survey. In addition, we might ask you to share your recent activity data (from your activity tracker - like a Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch, etc). This information already exists in your activity tracker, so it’s quick and easy to share, if you choose to do so. Remember - your activity data belongs to you! We do not use it for research purposes unless you say we can!

Observational Studies

We do many observational studies, and they can range in effort and length from one week all the way to several years long. We often ask you to answer surveys about your health and health experience at regular times (such as once per day or once per month). We may also ask you to share your activity tracker data with us, or complete a lab test in the comfort of your own home (like a quick and easy swab of your nose or cheek).

Below, you can learn more about some of the highlights of our research!

We live and breathe ‘Decentralized’ research

The majority of our research is decentralized, which means people can participate in studies from where they are, locally. People who typically would not be able to participate in health research at big hospitals and universities can have the chance to join an online study from the comfort of their home. 

This allows Evidation Studies to invite a diverse group of people to participate, regardless of their geographic location. 

We do, occasionally, ask participants to travel to a local laboratory or care provider - but this is clearly explained before anyone chooses to participate. We make sure that any requests like these are as quick and easy to complete as possible.

What does ‘PGHD’ or ‘Person-Generated Health Data’ have to do with it? 

Evidation Studies uses what is called ‘Person-Generated Health Data’ (PGHD). PGHD is information from a person, like responses from surveys, activity and sleep data from wearables, and more! 

PGHD can:

• help researchers better understand health on an individual level. 
• contain clues to help find patterns within groups of people that live with a similar disease. 
• capture information beyond what we remember to tell our healthcare providers at our regular visits. 
• help researchers explain “How does this disease impact your everyday life?” and “How can we detect and treat this illness more effectively?” 

We look at all sorts of PGHD to understand what a person’s health experience is like outside the doctor’s office. This includes expertise in looking at data from common wearables like a watch or activity tracker or from more unique sources like air quality sensors.

We are proud of the research we conduct and look forward to the incredible ways our work contributes to health science going forward. 

Want to know more about any of our Evidation Studies and how to get involved? Reach out to us at study@evidation.com and one of our friendly team members can help you get started. 

If you want additional general information on health research, we recommend checking out the following public resources: 

• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Human Research Protections
• FDA, Clinical Trials and Human Subject Protection
• National Institutes of Health (NIH), Educational Resources
• Clinical Research Resource HUB, Resources for Participants

We’re midway through flu season, and our Flu Monitoring on Evidation Community is growing! In our first month, we were 100,000 strong, and now, more than 160,000 people from all 50 states have come together in the spirit of healthier living.

The 2021-2022 Flu Season

Even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can’t lose focus on the flu. This year, we saw an uptick in flu-like illness after the holidays. This is shown by the increase of red on the map to the right.

Compared to this week last year, our country’s rates of flu-like illness are up drastically. This is shown in the abundance of green states in the map on the left, and the increase in yellow, orange and red states in the map on the right. Not seeking treatment can lead to increased spread in our families, social circles, and communities.

‍Slowing the spread 

These trends are worthy of our attention, and the Flu Monitoring on Evidation community is taking them seriously - especially by continuing to contribute activity data and reporting flu-like symptoms. 

Since our last community update in early December 2021, more than 37,000 community members have reported flu-like symptoms. Among them, Evidation identified nearly 13,200 cases of flu-like symptoms - up from 1600 in November. 

This early identification is possible because of you - our dedicated community. When you share your activity data and report symptoms, we can support you with insights that can prompt you to check in with your health and, help you make informed health decisions.

Here’s how it works

We look for changes in your activity data and alert you when we see a change that might mean you’re feeling under the weather. We’re interested in the relationship between changes in activity patterns and flu-like symptoms. 

Here’s what to look for in your Evidation app:

Remember, you can let us know at any time if you’re experiencing flu symptoms by selecting “yes” on the symptom and exposure offers above. Identifying early signs of flu across the country can help us slow the spread of illness. 

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Protect yourself and others 

We’re halfway there! We can all work together to stay safe and healthy for the rest of the flu season, but it’s important to know our most effective tools for prevention.  Recently, we quizzed our members on their Flu IQ, and for the most part, people know their stuff! 

However, we think it’s important to underscore the best thing you can do to protect yourself from the flu: Vaccinate!

CDC recommends the flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against the flu. And of course, preventive actions like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs.

While it’s advised to get a flu shot earlier in the season, it’s still not too late! Join the 162 million people getting this year’s quadrivalent flu vaccine, which protects against the four most common flu viruses. And an added bonus - you can get it at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine or booster.

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What is health research?

Research begins with a question and is the process of answering those questions. In health research specifically, studies are created to answer questions that increase our understanding of people’s health and ways to improve health. For example, we might want to learn more about people's health-related experiences, dig deeper into why people have specific health habits, or determine whether a new medication or medical product can treat a health condition.  

What a study looks like depends on the types of question researchers want to answer. Different types of research can be used to answer different questions. 

Who manages health research studies? 

Many people are involved in making a research study happen because there is a lot that goes into  a successful study. For example, someone needs to decide:

• Who should be in the study
• How those people can learn about, sign up for, and get paid for the study
• What the study steps should look like
• What data should be collected
• How the data should be analyzed

Study teams can range from a small group of people working together to much larger groups where everyone has a very specific job. In general, the people in charge of leading health research studies are the study sponsor and a principal investigator (PI). They are supported by a variety of research staff.  

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When and Where do health research studies happen?

Health research takes place all year round, at many different places. The right place for a study often depends on the questions it wants to answer.  For example, some studies take place in person, at locations called “research sites”. Research sites can be a part of a hospital, private medical practice, or a university. Study volunteers go to research sites when the study involves in-person activities, like face-to-face interviews, lab tests or other clinical procedures, or the use of devices people do not have at home. 

Other studies are conducted completely virtually, often via smartphones or computers. These studies are sometimes called “decentralized” studies because participants do not have to go to a central study location or medical office and can participate remotely, from where they are. 

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What do health research studies look like?

Different types of research can be used to answer different questions. The diagram below explains some of the different kinds of research. We'll talk more about the specific types of studies we do at Evidation (formerly Achievement) Studies in a future Research 101 post.

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Who participates in health research studies?

The most important part of health research is the study participants. Study participants are volunteers who consent (in other words, give their permission) to be in a study. They provide data through surveys, labs, assessments, and other study activities, which help researchers answer their research questions. 

Study participants are crucial to the success of a study and the future of healthcare and medicine. Without study volunteers, there is no study. And with no studies, there are no improvements to healthcare.

Where can I learn more about how to participate?

The Evidation app is great for managing your health and for offering you opportunities to participate in research.

Clinicaltrials.gov is a registry of clinical trials that provides the public with information on past and current trials.

Thanks for taking the time to learn more about health research and how it can make a difference for you and the world around you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at study@evidation.com.

Doctors and scientists use a lot of language that can be hard for the average person to understand. This "jargon" helps them communicate effectively with one another, but it can make learning about research difficult.

When we talk about health research, we sometimes need to use these terms to be as specific and transparent as possible.

So, to help, we've put together this list of common research terms and their definitions.

Common Health Research Terms

You can refer back to this page anytime you need to, and we'll update it to reflect new topics we post about.

Aggregate data

Data from a group of individuals that is combined into a summary format, for example, in tables or graphs. When data is aggregated (combined), individuals cannot be identified by their data. 

Clinical Research

Clinical research is a type of health science which aims to produce knowledge that is valuable for understanding human disease, preventing and treating illness, and promoting health.  

Coded study data

Data from a study which does not contain personally identifiable information (PII), for example, name, address, date of birth, social security number, etc. The PII is replaced by a code (usually a string of random letters and numbers) so no one can know who the participant is just from looking at the dataset. The participant’s corresponding personal information is kept separate to protect their identity as much as possible.

Cohort

A group of individuals who share a common characteristic or group of characteristics who are observed in a study. For example, the feature they may have in common could be a health diagnosis or a treatment assignment.

Sometimes, this term can also be used to refer to a group that a study participant is assigned to, such as a “study branch”, "study group", or “study arm”. 

Examples:

• In a study on diabetes, researchers may observe a set of traits patients diagnosed with diabetes who are on insulin (cohort 1) and who are not on insulin (cohort 2)
• In a study on how social media affects people of different ages, researchers might  observe symptoms in people age 10-15 (cohort 1), 16-20 (cohort 2), and 21-25 (cohort 3)
  

Confidentiality

Confidentiality refers to how an individual’s personal data is protected by people or groups granted permission to process it. It refers to how a person’s information is treated once it has been shared. Maintaining confidentiality is an important way to protect privacy and build trust.

Control group

The control group in a randomized controlled trial does not receive an “experimental treatment”, or the treatment that is being tested. Instead, they may receive no treatment, or another treatment that gets compared to the treatment being tested. The purpose of the control group is to compare research results between the group that receives the treatment and the group that doesn’t. 

For example, in a study that wants to learn whether a pain medication is helpful, one group would get the pain medication and the other group wouldn’t. The group that does not receive the pain medication is known as the control group. The data from these two groups could then be compared to learn more about whether the pain medication (the treatment or drug) is helpful.

De-identification

A process used to remove any personally identifying information (or PII) from data collected during a study. This is used to protect the identity of participants in a research study.

De-identified data

Data that is not linked to any personally identifying information (or PII), which means that it cannot be linked back to a specific person. 

Decentralized trial

A research trial that is not conducted at a physical location or “site” (also referred to sometimes as a “siteless” trial). Instead of having participants come to a location to complete study activities, they are able to participate from where they are (i.e. online, using home care, telemedicine visits, etc.)

Eligibility criteria

Criteria for who can or cannot participate in a research study, as defined by the researchers. These criteria must be met by all participants. Eligibility criteria are put in place to make sure that the researchers are able to get meaningful data to answer the study’s research questions, and/or protect people who may experience negative effects from a study. Eligibility criteria are different for any study.

For example, a study researching a birth control pill in females may exclude males. That same study may exclude females with heart conditions for their safety, if the birth control being tested is known to cause heart problems.

Eligibility screening

Questions or activities used to determine (or “screen”) if a person is eligible to participate in a study. This often occurs in the form of a survey, but could include other activities such as interviews or medical assessments.

Enrollment

The process of entering into a research study or trial. This can include a variety of steps, including agreeing to participate in a study by signing the informed consent form.

Exclusion criteria

Any criteria that would make a person ineligible to participate in a study. Exclusion criteria are created by the researchers to make sure the study results are meaningful and to protect potential participants from study activities that could be harmful to them. 

For example, a study may exclude participants who take a blood pressure medication, if there is reason to believe that people taking that type of medication could be harmed by the study. 

Good Clinical Practice

Good Clinical Practice (GCP) is an international guide for how to conduct ethical and good quality research. GCP applies to every aspect of a study, from start to finish. The purpose of this guide is to protect the rights and safety of study participants, as well as ensure the integrity and quality of study data.

Health research

Research that aims to learn about human health. This type of research can help us learn about, prevent, and treat health conditions. Also sometimes referred to as clinical research. 

HIPAA

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. It is a U.S. federal law that created guidelines to protect patients' PHI (personal health information). For more details on how HIPAA applies to research, click here. 

Inclusion criteria

Criteria that a person must meet to be eligible to participate in a study. 

For example, a study that is researching a blood pressure medication may require individuals to have high blood pressure. 

Informed consent

A process by which a person voluntarily confirms that they are willing to participate in a particular study. During this process, the person is given detailed information about the study so that they can make an informed decision about whether they want to participate. If a person decides to participate in a study, their consent is documented on an Informed Consent Form.

Informed Consent Form (ICF)

A form used to explain and document a person’s willingness to participate in a specific study. The form provides any important information a person needs to be able to decide whether participating in the study is right for them. For example, the form will include information on the purpose of the study, who is conducting the study, and any risks.

Interventional Research

Studies which are designed to understand the effects of treatment or preventive measures on a condition. This can also be described as “experimental research.” 

For example, a researcher may want to understand if an anxiety medication can also be used to treat chronic pain. In such a study, the researcher may give the anxiety medication to individuals with chronic pain, to see if the medication affects them. 

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

A group which independently reviews any research involving people. This group is made up of at least five members with different scientific and non-scientific backgrounds (for example, researchers, doctors, nurses, scientists, psychologists, patients, etc.)  The role of the IRB is to ensure that participants' rights and welfare are protected and that studies are carried out in an ethical manner.

Observational Research

Studies which are designed to observe what happens to a group of participants. Unlike interventional research, observational research does not try to introduce a treatment or product, but instead observes how participants behave naturally.

For example, a researcher may want to observe how depression affects the average number of steps a person walks per day. 

Participant

A person who enrolls (or takes part) in a research study after signing an informed consent form and completing any other study-required enrollment activities.

Person-Generated Health Data

Health-related data that is created, recorded, or gathered by individuals (or by family members or caregivers). Sources of PGHD include wearable devices or phones, electronic surveys, apps, or any other interactions with technology that generate personal data about health. 

Personally identifiable information (PII)

Personally identifiable information (PII) is any form of sensitive data that can be used to identify a person (for example, name or social security number). A study that collects PII is required to protect that data.

Privacy

Privacy refers to a person’s right to limit access or processing of their personal information by other people or groups. This can include controlling what, how much, and when personal information is shared with others

Principal Investigator

The person(s) who leads and takes overall responsibility for a research study. Typically, this is a medical doctor or someone with a doctorate degree in a health field. The Principal Investigator (PI) makes sure that the research follows good scientific and ethical practices and that it can answer the research questions being asked (often, being asked by a study sponsor). The PI also oversees the research support staff.

Protected Health Information (PHI)

Protected Health Information (PHI) refers to personal health-related information that is shared between individuals or organizations who provide treatment, payment, and operations in healthcare. For example, this can include Medical Record Numbers, hospital bills, lab reports, etc. 

It’s important to note that PHI is different from PII. PII is an umbrella term for any information that can be traced to an individual’s identity, while PHI refers specifically to identifiable health information possessed by HIPAA covered entities. 

Protected group

Groups of people who are provided additional protections in health research based on federal regulations. In some cases, individuals in these groups may not be able to legally consent to participating in research by themselves and may require consent to be given by a caregiver or legally authorized representative. 

Examples of protected groups include children, pregnant women, and prisoners. 

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

A study in which researchers randomly assign participants to different groups (also called arms or cohorts). The goal is to minimize bias and then compare the study results between the groups.

For example, a study may randomly assign participants to take either a new medication or a sugar tablet every day. The researchers will then use the data from participants to learn if the medication made a difference for the group that received it.

Real-world evidence

Clinical evidence that is generated from real-world data about the use, risks, and/or benefits of a medication, product, or treatment. 

Real-world data

Data about the use, risks, and/or benefits of a medication, product, or treatment that come from a variety of sources. For example, real-world data can come from clinical sources like electronic health records, claims and billing activities, product and disease registries. Or it can come from everyday sources like health apps and fitness trackers. 

Research

The process of using scientific methods to collect, analyze, and interpret data collected from studies to contribute to knowledge about a topic. 

Research site

A location where research is conducted. This can include hospitals, universities, private medical practices, research institutes, and more. 

Sponsor

A sponsor may be an individual or pharmaceutical company, governmental agency, academic institution, private organization, or other group that initiates, oversees, and/or is financially responsible for the research. 

For example, a pharmaceutical company may initiate research to learn if the drug they make works, and pay another independent organization to actually conduct the study. 

Study

Where research methods are used to collect, analyze, and interpret data collected from participants to contribute to knowledge about a topic. 

Study data

Information collected during a research study. It can include demographic information (race, age, education level), health information, descriptions of the participant’s progress, and other relevant information.

Withdrawal

The process of exiting a research study or trial. All research studies are voluntary, which means that participants are free to stop participating at any time for any reason.

We want to thank you for being a part of Heart Health on Evidation and share with you what members are saying about their experience.

We recently asked a series of questions about the benefits of the Personalized Heart Health Report and how you and other participants are using it. We’re excited to share what we learned. 

What is the Personalized Heart Health Report?

The Personalized Report is a record of your weekly diary entries. The diary asks you how you’re feeling, what your current weight is, and about any new or worsening symptoms related to heart health.

We ask these questions because, according to the American College of Cardiology, tracking these things is important for you and your care team to know how well your heart health is being managed. 

And because it tracks these things over time, the report helps you and your care team see just how you’re feeling from week to week, month to month, and so on. 

How are Heart Health on Evidation Members using the Personalized Reports?

We asked several questions about how you and other members of Heart Health on Evidation are using the Personalized Report. Here’s what members who downloaded their report had to say.

• Most enjoyed being able to track their steps, symptoms, weight, and mood over time.
• Many printed the report and took it to their next appointment. But did you know you can email it directly to your care team or save it to your phone or mobile device? 
• Some said they had trouble remembering to download the report, so we’ve added reminders to help! 

What do Heart Health on Evidation Members Have to Say about Their Reports?

“It reminds me to put me first.”

“It helps me be accountable and aware of my symptoms.”

“It reminds me that my heart health is important, and to keep trying to eat healthy and exercise even though sometimes I don’t want to. I get depressed and feel as if it doesn’t matter, but then I read something uplifting on Heart Health and try a little harder.”

“The report keeps information that could be important for you and your doctor in keeping your heart in the best shape it can be.”

How to download your Personalized Report

Once you’ve completed at least 3 diary entries, your report will be ready to download. It updates weekly, so be sure to check it regularly. 

You can access the report through the heart health section of your Evidation app (or on the site).

Step 1: First, you’ll want to click on the “heart icon” at the bottom of your app or in the menu bar if you’re online. 

Step 2: Scroll down the page until you see “Get Your Personalized Report.” 

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Step 3: Click on the “get report” button. 

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 ***If you haven’t completed at least 3 diary entries this button will be grayed out and unable to click. But don’t worry, once you complete 3 entries, you’ll be able to access it!

Step 4: After you press confirm, you’ll receive an email to download the report. You can save it to your device or print it!

Example Personalized Report

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It’s been a busy year on Evidation!

In 2021, members like you participated in over 200 research opportunities, contributed to 19 research publications, and together logged over 147 million days of activity data.

To honor all that hard work and to share back some of the exciting things that have happened, we wanted to highlight some of this year’s biggest accomplishments. 

In 2021 Evidation Members:

• Earned 7 billion points.
• Redeemed millions of dollars in awards.
• Completed 18 million offers.
• Logged 951 billion steps. That's equivalent to walking to the moon over 1,896 times!
• Logged over 2 billion minutes of exercise. If each minute of exercise burned 10 calories, our members burned the equivalent of 114 million donuts!
• Spent some of their time finding their zen. According to our most popular connected devices, members logged 8 million minutes of yoga this year.
• Joined from all over the US! California was the state with the most new members, and New York was the state that had the largest percent increase from last year.

New to Evidation in 2021:

We introduced several new features in 2021, including: 

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Flu Monitoring on Evidation: Since November, 130,000 people have joined together to form our Flu Monitoring on Evidation community from all 50 states. In its first month alone, Flu Monitoring on Evidation identified nearly 6000 cases of flu-like symptoms from changes in activity data. This information can help people know when to access treatment and protect their loved ones. 

Steps Challenges: This year, some Evidation members stepped up their games in the form of a challenge, and in general, those who participated increased their steps! On Halloween, we wondered how trick or treating impacted our members’ activity levels, and our results showed that people who enrolled in the Halloween Steps Challenge stepped it up much more than people who opted out of the challenge - three times as much, to be precise! Stay tuned for more challenges in 2022.

Month In Review: We’re also working on sending you personalized insights on your healthy habits and activity, from steps to active minutes, which can be especially important to monitor during colder months as we tend to slow down. Keep an eye out for this new feature!

We also launched a new blog so you can find your favorite posts (and maybe some you missed) all in one place. 

These efforts and others like them help bring us closer to achieving our mission of creating new ways to measure and improve health in everyday life. But none of it would be possible without you! 

What’s Next?

We plan to keep the momentum going in 2022 by offering you more opportunities to earn points and participate in challenges. We’ll also be creating additional health programs and offering more personalized content experiences.   

And be sure to keep an eye out for our upcoming Research 101 series and our Diversity in Research series!