Blog

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Sharing genetic information with research participants in the Project Baseline Health Study

6,000 known genetic disordersProject Baseline Health StudyColor

member of Project Baseline’s Return of Results committeerelease of physical performance information in Fitness Reports

Posted by Tina Karimi, Contributing Editor, Verily

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Using machine learning to advance movement analysis with the Verily Study Watch

four times per yearStudy Watch1collecting more complex dataHealth Studycollaboration with Google

Diabetic retinopathy screening at Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, India, leveraging machine learning.

Participants can contribute granular data to enhance the Study Watch algorithm.

“I can’t say enough how important Health Study participants were to this initiative,” said Dr. Rothney. “Activity tagging participation was completely voluntary. We are encouraged to see just how many participants are excited to take part — sometimes contributing up to a hundred tags at a time! The Study Watch team was thrilled to see new tags come in every day, because they’re essential to the study: more data means the ability to explore deeper and more challenging areas of human health.”
Moving forward, Project Baseline hopes to leverage this data to advance science around movement disorders. Further, developing robust health-related sensors like the Study Watch can fuel precision medicine efforts and enable more personalized care in areas like weight management, diabetes, mental health, and more.
Since healthcare is not one-size fits all, understanding what happens in between medical appointments can drive more individualized lifestyle recommendations. Over time, healthcare providers can see trends in behavior and make inferences as to what they may mean for patients. For example, a sudden change in a patient’s movement may indicate a possible injury, or the onset of a medical condition like heart disease, or depression. With a ready source of historical data, it’s easier to catch health changes early — leading to more proactive care and better outcomes.
1. A version of the Verily Study Watch has been cleared in the U.S. by the FDA. The version of the Study Watch referenced here is an investigational device.
Posted by Tina Karimi, Contributing Editor, Verily

Friday, July 12, 2019

Applying user experience (UX) design to clinical research: Behind the Scenes Q&A

86% of studies30% of participants drop outHow would you define a “great user experience?” What are the building blocks?Kaylyn, UX researcher:usefulandusable
Christine, UX designerIt’s typical to hear about user-centered design in technology. In clinical research and life sciences more broadly, however, Project Baseline’s focus on UX is uncommon. What does “starting with the user” mean to you, and how does it impact your work?Christine:

Kaylyn:

Project Baseline was built around this idea of approaching research differently. We stay focused on this not just by designing for users, but also actively building with them. What does this mean and how does it work? Kaylyn:designing with input from real target usersusability session

Christine:Describe how you have collaborated with participants and what the end result was.

Christine:design of Fitness Reports
What other forms can user research take?Kaylyn:methodquestiondepthcreated a bedroomWhat project are you most proud of so far from your time at Project Baseline?Christine:Kaylyn:Project Baseline membersLearn morePosted by Tina Karimi, Contributing Editor, Verily

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Researcher Q&A: Advancing health science to improve heart attack and stroke prevention

Inside the Heart Biomarker Study: Cardiology Q&A with researcher Svati Shah

heart disease claims a lifeTell us about your background. What drew you to cardiology and genetics?How did you get involved with Project Baseline?Project Baseline Health StudyHeart Biomarker Study

Celebrating the Project Baseline Health Study’s first anniversary in 2018.

Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a)On that note, what is Lp(a)? Why is understanding it better so important?Can you speak to genetics and risk as it relates to Lp(a)? If we know that high Lp(a) is associated with heart attacks, why do we need more research?we need to know moreIs there anything people with elevated Lp(a) can do to lower it today?Talk to us a bit about the study design. Why is this research focused on heart attack and stroke survivors?Learn more
Posted by Tina Karimi, Contributing Editor, Verily

Thursday, June 20, 2019

Cardiologist Q&A: Researching a new risk factor for heart disease

Heart Biomarker Study85.6 million AmericansThanks for chatting with us, Mike! To start us off, can you tell us a little about yourself and your journey to cardiology?

Wearable digital devices, like the Study Watch used in the Project Baseline Health Study, can help capture health data outside the clinic walls.

Dr. McConnell and the Verily team celebrate Wear Red Day for women’s heart health awareness.

early intervention can make a huge differenceHeart Biomarker Studyone in fiveCan you break that down a bit more? What is Lp(a) and why does it matter?Lp(a) is a lipoproteinReducing risk is an important point. Can you speak to why it’s important to focus on heart attack and stroke survivors as part of this research?Learn more
Posted by Tina Karimi, Contributing Editor, Verily

Friday, May 17, 2019

Building the participant-researcher feedback loop for Project Baseline Fitness Reports

Project Baseline is a collaboration between researchers and participants.

at least one digital toolpart 1 of our series on returning resultsBuilding with participants

Do participants understand what results mean for their health?

Do reports answer questions participants may have?

Do participants understand what the visual charts are showing them?

What data comparisons do participants want to see?

Delivering more engaging reportsuser testing and iterations

Description of the test, how researchers arrived at results, and what the numbers mean

Results of each test

Comparisons to similar individuals

Why this information is helpful for understanding human health

Useful information and fun facts about fitness and health

Additional resources to learn more

Project Baseline participants have detailed health data on physical activity at their fingertips via Fitness Reports.

Prioritizing return of resultsthis article
Posted by Tina Karimi, Contributing Editor, Verily

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Breaking new ground in returning study results to participants

access to health records onlinebetter treatment outcomesfocused on creating clear standardspublished in 2018Returning results starts with participants

Study Watch step count data gives participants insight into their physical activity.
Posted by Tina Karimi, Contributing Editor, Verily

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Project Baseline launches Heart Biomarker Study to advance research around new heart disease risk factor

one in fourHeart Biomarker StudyOne in five Americans1statin medications285.6 million AmericansOne in four27% of yearly heart attacksmore than one death per minuteProject Baseline Health StudyResearch Goes RedLearn more1. “Understanding Lipoprotein(a),” Lipoprotein(a) Foundation.2. “Guidelines and Lp(a),” Lipoprotein(a) Foundation.
Posted by Svati Shah, MD, MHS, Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Duke University School of Medicine

Monday, April 22, 2019

Dr. Reed Tuckson’s insights from the first Project Baseline Advisory Board meeting

Introducing Dr. Reed Tuckson, Chairman of the Project Baseline Advisory Boardseven in 10Closing the gap between research and careMaking data actionableStaying transparent and providing value to research participants

Posted by Dr. Reed Tuckson, Chairman, Project Baseline Advisory Board About Dr. Reed Tuckson:Modern Healthcare

Monday, March 25, 2019

Faces of Baseline: Nor

New York Times story on the Project Baseline Health StudyPosted by Tina Karimi, Contributing Editor, Verily

Friday, March 8, 2019

How research helped map my family’s heart health

Clinical research is key to my family's heart health story.
hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Research Goes Red1Heart Disease FactsPosted by Leilani Graham, Patient Advocate and Community Coordinator, Verily

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Project Baseline and the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement collaborate to include more women in research

Women have been underrepresented in heart health research. That stops now. 12Research Goes Redjoin Research Goes RedResearch Goes RedFacebook pageCardiovascular Disease, Women’s No.1 Health ThreatPosted by Tina Karimi, Contributing Editor, Verily

Friday, February 8, 2019

New year, new horizons

new websiteFacebookPosted by Tina Karimi, Contributing Editor, Verily