Activation Health

Activity Dashboard

The app includes an interactive Activity Dashboard that displays:

• Daily metrics: Steps, distance walked, and active energy burned
• Weekly comparisons: Compare your current week to the previous week with visual charts
• Heart rate tracking: Average resting heart rate when available
• Trend analysis: See how your activity levels change over time

Smart Data Sync

The app intelligently manages your health data uploads:

• Automatic background uploads: Data syncs automatically when connected to WiFi
• Cellular data awareness: For large uploads (>10MB), the app asks your permission before using cellular data
• Sync status display: See exactly when your data was last synced to the research server
• Efficient deduplication: The server only stores new data, avoiding duplicates

Survey Scheduling

PROMIS surveys are scheduled at specific timepoints during your study participation:

• Time windows: Surveys become available 4 days before their scheduled date
• Notifications: You'll receive reminders when surveys are due
• Late completion: Surveys can still be completed up to 7 days after the scheduled date

How do I enroll in the study?

Enrollment requires a study code provided by the research team. If you are interested in participating:

1. Speak with your healthcare provider about the ACTIVATION study
2. Contact the research team (contact information below)
3. Complete the informed consent process
4. Receive your unique study code and participant ID
5. Download the app and enroll using your credentials

What data does the app collect?

The app collects HealthKit data with your explicit permission, including:

• Mobility metrics: Walking speed, step length, asymmetry
• Gait metrics: Stair ascent/descent speed, six-minute walk test
• Cardiovascular metrics: Heart rate, blood pressure
• Activity metrics: Steps, distance, flights climbed, active energy
• Sleep analysis: Duration and quality

You will also be asked to complete PROMIS surveys at scheduled timepoints during your recovery.

Is my data secure and private?

Yes. Data security and privacy are our top priorities:

• Anonymization: Participant IDs contain no personally identifiable information
• Encryption: All data is transmitted using HTTPS with TLS 1.2+ encryption
• HealthKit data: Health data is accessed from your iPhone's Health app with your permission and uploaded securely to our servers
• Secure server: Data is stored on University of Calgary institutional servers with database encryption
• Limited access: Only authorized research team members can access study data

All data transmissions use industry-standard encryption and security protocols.

How do I grant HealthKit permissions?

When you first enroll, the app will request access to specific HealthKit data types:

1. Complete the consent form in the app
2. Review the HealthKit permission request
3. Select "Turn All Categories On" or individually enable each data type
4. Tap "Allow" to grant permissions

You can change these permissions later in the iOS Health app under Sources.

Why isn't my data uploading?

If you notice data isn't uploading automatically:

• Check Background App Refresh: Go to Settings → General → Background App Refresh and ensure it's enabled for Activation Health
• Check Low Power Mode: Background uploads are disabled in Low Power Mode
• Check internet connection: The app requires an active internet connection to upload data
• Check HealthKit permissions: Verify you've granted permission for all required data types in the Health app
• Manual update: Open the app and tap "Update" to manually trigger an upload

How do I complete PROMIS surveys?

The app will notify you when surveys are due:

1. Open the notification when you receive it, or open the app and tap the Surveys tab
2. Tap on the survey you want to complete
3. The survey will open in your web browser
4. Complete the survey and submit it
5. Return to the app - it will automatically mark the survey as completed

Can I withdraw from the study?

Yes, participation is completely voluntary and you may withdraw at any time:

1. Contact the research team using the contact information below to inform them of your decision to withdraw
2. Open the app and go to the Settings tab
3. Tap the "Withdraw from Study" button
4. Confirm your withdrawal decision
5. Discuss with the research team whether you want your previously collected data deleted or retained for analysis (per study protocol)

Withdrawing will not affect your medical care in any way.

What iOS devices are supported?

The app requires:

• iOS version: iOS 16.0 or later
• Device: iPhone 8 or newer (for gait and mobility metrics)
• Apple Watch: Optional but recommended for enhanced heart rate and activity tracking

The app crashes or won't open. What should I do?

Try these troubleshooting steps:

1. Force quit the app and reopen it
2. Restart your iPhone
3. Check for iOS updates in Settings → General → Software Update
4. Delete and reinstall the app (your enrollment will be preserved on the server)
5. If issues persist, contact technical support (see below)

I forgot my study code or participant ID. What do I do?

Contact the research team using the contact information below. They can look up your credentials securely. Never share your study code or participant ID with anyone other than the research team.