American fitness wearables maker Fitbit has partnered up with Singapore government’s Health Promotion Board (HPB) on a population-based public health project in support of the country’s Smart Nation initiative. The HPB implements policy and programs to improve the health of Singaporeans. This is Fitbit’s first major integration of a digital health platform and wearables into a national public health program globally.
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The initiative, named Live Healthy SG, was uniquely designed for Singapore by Fitbit and the HPB to harness technology, behavior insights and analytics to help Singaporeans get healthier through meaningful and sustained behavior change. Live Healthy SG will engage people of all ages and levels of health using Fitbit devices and its new Premium service, which is launching to consumers in select markets around the world this fall, reports Business Wire.
Singapore is known worldwide for its efficient healthcare system – comprised of high-quality health services, world-class infrastructure and skilled healthcare talent. But, like many nations, the country is facing the rise of chronic conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
Fitbit plans to incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning to encourage physical activity, healthy eating and better sleep quality. The insights gathered can also help to enrich HPB’s health promotion programs, the report said.
“The area of population health presents an exciting opportunity for innovation. Increasingly, the Health Promotion Board has leveraged emerging technologies as well as behavior insights in the design of our programs, such as the National Steps Challenge – a nationwide program to keep active, to encourage Singaporeans to adopt healthy living and to affect behavior change. HPB will continue to embark on such nationwide programs to encourage and support Singaporeans in keeping active, adopting healthy living and affecting behavior change. At the same time, we intend to work with industry innovators, such as Fitbit, on additional efforts to use technology to provide Singaporeans with personalized health advice and nudges, so that they can take control of their own health,” said Zee Yoong Kang, CEO, Health Promotion Board.
In the partnership, the HPB will leverage its outreach channels to support Fitbit in encouraging participation in its program. When participants sign on to the Fitbit program, there will also be a clear and seamless consent process to indicate if they agree to share their data during the program with the HPB. Such data will, in turn, provide insights and contribute to more health promotion programs that will benefit many Singaporeans.
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Singaporeans will be able to pre-register for Live Healthy SG starting mid-September, and the program will officially go live in late October 2019. Participants who enroll in and commit to one year of Fitbit Premium service will receive a Fitbit Inspire HR at no cost.
