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April 30, 2018 01:00 AM

Fitbit and Google want to unite patient-generated and clinical data

Fitbit and Google are teaming up to unite patient-generated data with clinical data in electronic health records, the companies announced Monday.

By bringing together the two kinds of data, Fitbit and Google say they can help providers get a more complete view of patients' healthA.

"Together, we have the opportunity to deliver up-to-date information to providers, enhancing their ability to follow and manage the health of their patients," said Google Cloud healthcare vice president Dr. Gregory Moore in a statement.

Fitbit developers will use Google's healthcare API, and Fitbit will apply the API to its recently acquired health-coaching platform Twine Health. Large companies use Twine to manage their employees' health at the population level.

Meanwhile, providers and health coaches work with patients to manage chronic conditions. Leveraging Google's healthcare API will broaden access to the Twine platform, according to Google and Fitbit.

With the move to unite patient-generated and clinical data, Fitbit is following the trend of patient-driven interoperability led in part by Apple. Earlier this year, Apple began allowing patients of certain health systems to download and store their EHR data on their iPhones alongside their own patient-generated health data.

Along with the data unification, Fitbit also announced it will jump onto the Google Cloud platform, which will help the company grow more quickly while keeping data secure, according to the companies. The platform will also give Fitbit access to Google's artificial intelligence and machine-learning tools, which it might apply to its plethora of data.

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