Hardware

UCB, Garmin Launch Tech-Focused Wellness Program for Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

A wearable helps physicians and patients track activity and spur healthier behaviors.

Juliet is the senior web editor for BizTech and HealthTech magazines. In her six years as a journalist she has covered everything from aerospace to indie music reviews — but she is unfailingly partial to covering technology.

Biopharmaceutical company UCB has partnered with Garmin to launch Wellness 4U, “a multi-channel health and wellness program” that uses, in part, a wearable to engender healthier behaviors in people with immunological disorders.

The initiative includes a Wellness 4U Activity Tracker pilot program that provides a Garmin vivofit 2 activity tracker to monitor the activity and sleep patterns of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Patients can access data on their daily activity through an online platform that also provides them with information and tips on ways to live healthier lifestyles. The data gathered through the program will also be used to provide physicians and researchers on information around how behavioral changes have impacted the health of patients.

"Patients with immunologic disorders are often at higher risk for other conditions such as cardiovascular events. Leading an active and healthy lifestyle may help to prevent this, but patients often aren't sure where to start," said Dr. Prashanth Sunkureddi, Clear Lake Rheumatology in Houston, TX, in a press release. "Therefore, initiatives like Wellness 4U can be critical in empowering patients to have meaningful discussions with their physicians about their lifestyles and improving long-term health outcomes beyond their treatment plans alone. By tracking physical activity and sleeping habits through the Wellness 4U Activity Tracker, the first program of its kind for people with RA, patients can work with their physicians to track their progress and ultimately take an active role in their own wellness journey."