Improve hear-rate accuracy by calibrating optical sensor to ECG accuracy

[DrWho]

The research literature is full of information about using machine learning techniques to calibrate the optical sensor to the accuracy of a medical ECG.  Please do some literature search and use the machine learning algorithms to set all your fitbits for better accuracy.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject and updated label

[YojanaFitbit]

Hey @DrWho! Nice suggestion, thanks for sharing. We look forward to hearing what other community members think.

[Clickadelphia]

This was announced the other day for new Apple watch series 4. They also include fall censing for emergencies.  I would like to see this added to Fitbit product line.

[JerryIonic]

I think it would be nice if there was an app to be able to monitor your ECG (EKG) similar to what is available on the Apple Watch. It seems to be proving valuable to those who use it on the Apple Watch, and some have even reported that it has saved their lives. I do hope that you please consider this option.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @JerryIonic, thanks for explaining why you would like to have the option to monitor your ECG (EKG) with Fitbit. Thanks for sharing your feedback. I've moved it into a similar request.  A lot of users are asking for this option, I hope we receive updates soon.

[Anroy1]

Hi @YojanaFitbit 

Could this be a feature added to an existing charge 4, through an update or only made available for future sales? 

Thanks

[SunsetRunner]

SENSE and other ECG DEVICES have an electric sensor that provides more accurate and reliable Heart Rate (HR) values than optical sensors. In case it is not feasible to use ECG's electric sensor for continuous HR monitoring, at least consider using it for ACCURATE INSTANT READINGS. It would be just: Stop, Fingers on Metallic Outer Ring, Read the HR.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @SunsetRunner, thanks for explaining why you think it's a good ideas to use ECG feature to improve accuracy of Fitbit heart rate details . I've moved it into a similar request. I think that a lot of users would like to have this option on their Fitbit devices. You can learn more about how Fitbit decides what suggestions get released in our FAQs.

Thank you again for your participation in the Feature Suggestions Forums.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @YojanaFitbit ,

@DrWho  suggestion, that started this thread, is much better and advanced than mine. But three years have passed since his/her post in 2018, Sense and other devices with ECG finally were produced and released by Fitbit and nothing has been done on this, that we users can see and use.

So I made a much simpler suggestion that could be easily put to work in a very short time. Far from what we would like to have on our Fitbit watch/trackers, but better than nothing, taking that Sense (and apparently also other recent Fitbit devices using PurePulse 2.0, like Versa 3) heart rate readings are often far from satisfactory.

[SunsetRunner]

@YojanaFitbit ,

I think this thread's title is very misleading. It doesn't reflect the excellent @DrWho  post.

I suggest you change it to something like:

"Improve hear-rate accuracy by calibrating optical sensor to ECG accuracy".

Or just add the word "to" before "ECG" on the current title:

Calibrate optical heart-rate sensor to improve to ECG accuracy

[Tgisele]

@SunsetRunner Great suggestion. I would vote for your post, but the vote option is not available. Many improvements need to be made with the heart rate accuracy on the Sense and other devices. 

[SunsetRunner]

Shame on you, @YojanaFitbit , by refusing to correct this suggestion title that, at the moment, does not reflect the contents of the posts in it.

You are clearly ignoring us and treating this Suggestion as a garbage bin with a misleading title. This tells a lot about you, Fitbit Moderators.

[SunsetRunner]

This suggestion was made before and moved by a Fitbit Moderator to another suggestion thread with a misleading title here:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Suggestions/Calibrate-optical-heart-rate-sensor-to-improve-E...

The moderator ignored pleads to correct that misleading title. Why?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @SunsetRunner. Thanks for sharing this suggestion about improving the Sense heart rate accuracy when ECG sensor with us. Because this was already requested, I've moved your post here as this will help our developers to understand which idea other members are voting for. I also appreciate your feedback and the tittle has been edited accordingly. Please note you can always flag down any post or suggestion that may require attention, that way we can handle it appropriately. We'll keep working to make Fitbit more useful for you.

[SigHillDude]

Maybe I have missed something but I don't see this being a useful posting anymore as it only loops back on itself and does not provide an update to the new information and techniques available.  It appears that Fitbit has had it's Heart Rhythm App approved  [510(k) clearance] by the FDA in Sept 2020.  The article I was reading suggested Sense users would have access in October 2020 but I only heard of this today.  In fact, my Charge 3 died, presumably from planned obsolescence, when it refused to charge 6 months ago.  When I did a market survey through Fitbit, I did not see anything special offered on ECG options then that the Charge 4 did not offer so I went ahead with a Charge 4 purchase. I specifically started with Fitbit on the Charge 3 to monitor HR and SpO2.  

Now, 6 months later, it appears that the the important information on these units, functionality and limitations is NOT AVAILABLE in the marketing information. It also appears that a user is left to dig through hours of redundant links to find any useful information from FitBit.  Totally disgusting and my rating of the company operations continues in a nose dive.  

Oh, and I was promised two (2) call backs from the company regarding the Charge 3 issue and that Charge 3 battery failure and poor performance of the Charge 4.  Is there anyplace in this website to find reliable answers from the company?