Fitbit has always been known for their wearables and health-centric devices. The company is arguably one of the first to pioneer health-centric gadgets such as fitness trackers. Just recently, Fitbit announced the availability of the new Charge 4 which brings much sought after features to one of their most popular fitness trackers.
This week, the company is focusing on their app; the place where all the magic happens. Fitbit devices, while good for tracking need a way to convey the data they collect in an easy to understand way; that’s where the App comes in. However, the app isn’t just about the data either, it has evolved over the years to become a community hub for Fitbit users around the world. Fitbit has also helped this along the way by introducing more ways to interact on the app.
More recently, the app saw the launch of a premium service where users are able to access personal training, nutrition advice and workout plans and videos for a monthly fee. This was further bolstered by the introduction of new app based features for the Charge 4. Now, in light of the current global pandemic, the company is introducing yet another feature – a COVID-19 Resource Hub.
The current pandemic is one of the first pandemics of its scale and the advent of social media has undoubtedly introduced a new dimension to how pandemics work. With a massive amount of information at our fingertips, it’s hard to discern what is real and what isn’t. The new COVID-19 resource hub is Fitbit’s way of helping the Fitbit community get access to verified information about the pandemic. The hub will feature information sourced from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to help the community keep safe, informed and healthy. The resource hub will appear in app as a red cross on the quick access bar starting on April 10, 2020.
In addition to the Resource Hub, users in the United States will be able to get access to doctors virtually via the Fitbit app. The company will be working with PlushCare, an online medical consultation provider, to provide this service. Using PlushCare, users will be able to get access to board-certified doctors virtually. The doctors will be able to provide diagnoses and prescription refills for those who need it during the lockdown. They are also recognised by insurance providers in the U.S. so users will be able to charge their insurance or copay. However, if you’re uninsured, you will have to pay USD$99 on top of the monthly Fitbit Premium membership fee for each visit. We don’t have word on whether Fitbit is looking to bring the feature to other countries just yet.
These efforts come as a complement to Fitbit’s many research efforts. The company has already been collaborating with research organisations such as The Scripps Research Institute and Stanford Medicine to help use wearables to detect early signs of diseases. Their research has, so far, been limited to viral illnesses. The researchers are currently looking at using this research to help identify COVID-19 cases using activity, sleep and heart rate data. The company is inviting users to share their data to help contribute to this research and also help in the battle against the SARS-CoV-2.
Fitbit has also made their premium service free for 90-days during the pandemic. With access to Premium, users are able to access over 40 at home workouts, meditations, sleep tracks and more in the Fitbit app. This offer is only available to new Premium members as a free trial.