Infection Watch FAQ

How am I eligible for this study? How were my records obtained?

• The research team in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Duke has partnered with medical staff at Duke Hospital to provide records of patients who have undergone diagnostic testing for influenza-like illnesses in the past 5 years.

Can I still participate in the study if I do not own a Fitbit, Garmin, or Apple Watch?

• Yes! You can complete the initial survey which asks some questions regarding device ownership and general demographic information.

Do you accept data from other sources?

• We have limited our data collection to Fitbit, Garmin, and Apple Watch for this study. We appreciate your interest and would love to get back once our infrastructure improves.

What kind of data will you collect, and why?

• Information about you, your symptoms, heart rate, sleep, steps/activity levels will be collected. This data will be used to help detect and track the spread of influenza-like illnesses.

What is the duration of the study?

• The study will take less than 10 minutes as it is simply a one-time survey and may include data donation

Will I be compensated for participating?

• You will be compensated if you choose to donate your Fitbit, Garmin, or Apple Watch device data.

Will my data be protected?

• Yes, your data will be stored on Duke University Health System servers.

Who will see my data?

• Only study investigators and the study coordinators will have access to the data files. All data will be stored with a study ID number so that your name will not be associated with your data. All data will be securely stored.

Will my data still remain if I choose to withdraw from the study?

• Participation in this study is completely voluntary. You can choose not to participate at any point. If you agree to be in the study, you may withdraw at any time for any reason. After withdrawal, the staff will no longer contact you or obtain further information in the future but still has permission to use the information collected previously.

I don’t see my question listed here. Who can I contact for more information?

• Please email at covidentify@duke.edu.