DEERFIELD, Ill. — Automated health tracking can improve long-term health engagement, according to findings from a study by Walgreens and the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI).

Walgreens said Monday that the research examined usage patterns in its Balance Rewards for healthy choices (BRhc) loyalty program, which enables members to track health activities and get incentives for continued monitoring and healthy behavior. The study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, gauged the impact of manual versus automatic data entries via a supported device or apps, the study results were recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.¹

Activity tracking data such as exercise, weight, sleep, blood pressure, blood glucose data recorded, tobacco use and oxygen saturation were examined from more than 450,000 BRhc members in 2014. After identifying users with sufficient follow-up data, the researchers explored trends in participation over time.

The results showed that 77% of users manually recorded their activities and participated in the program for an average of five weeks. Yet users who entered activities automatically using the BRhc-supported devices or apps remained engaged four times longer and averaged 20 weeks of participation.

“Consumers are increasingly more engaged in their own health care and wellness. Digital technology that enables easy data tracking of healthy behaviors, combined with incentives, and trusted professional support, provide additional motivation for our customers to more easily manage their health,” Walgreens chief medical officer Harry Leider said in a statement. “We’re especially encouraged by the results of this study. In the two years since it was initiated, we’ve seen a shift from the majority of members in the program tracking their activities manually, to most now tracking them automatically. We’re pleased to continue our relationship with Scripps to advance our work in a way that results in a positive impact on behaviors and outcomes.”

The research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and a grant from the Qualcomm Foundation.

STSI director Eric Topol commented, “This is the first chapter of a remarkable collaboration with Walgreens, enabling us to understand real world connectivity with mobile device health applications, along with behavior and outcome patterns, in an exceptionally large and diverse cohort.”