Interactive Ambulatory Assessment
We are proud to offer the only research grade sensor triggering functionality for Experience Sampling studies.
This feature allows you to capture the contextual information from a participant, enabling you to fully understand the objective physiological data. Instead of looking at the data and wondering what that spike or dip was in a particular metric, you can use this feature to ask the participant themselves at the moment it occurs.
Our research grade sensors analyze physiological parameters as the sensor gathers the data (in realtime), and then transmits the results via BluetoothSmart to a smartphone installed with movisensXS.
movisensXS evaluates the data within your customisable algorithm, and as a result of the evaluation, can trigger a questionnaire or an intervention on the smartphone.
Using our simple drag and drop interface, you select what physiological parameter (or parameters!) you’d like to utilize and build your own triggering algorithm. When investigating physiological changes such as high activity levels, sedentary behavior, changes in heart rate variability (RMSSD), heart rate thresholds, or electrodermal activity, these parameters can act as triggers within your study.
Recommendations for IAA
Investigating phases of physical activity and inactivity
Whilst accurately determining sedentary periods remains a worthy goal, assessing the motivations behind the behavior and implementing interventions seems the logical next stage of such research. When investigating the subjective feelings of participants, it's possible to trigger a questionnaire via the SensorTrigger app on our Experience Sampling Platform movisensXS during sedentary periods. Various triggering algorithms use on different physiological changes to prompt the participant to answer a series of questions. The "Sedentary" trigger sends a questionnaire after a determined amount of time in the sitting position (e.g. 30 minutes) elapses. This makes it possible to get more detailed feedback and thus more accurate insights into the everyday life of volunteers. Eventually, after capturing suitable data, the same process can function as an intervention, sending messages to assist in highlighting awareness of the behavior.
Examination of stress
Thanks to movisens solutions, it is possible to collect physiological and subjective data together in everyday life. All movisens mobile sensors are able to transmit the results of the measured and analysed data in real time to a smartphone via a Bluetooth interface. From there, questionnaires can be triggered in movisensXS to start a query. Interactive Ambulatory Assessment makes it possible to record subjective data precisely at the times when something of physiological interest (heart rate increase or HRV change) is measured. By combining HRV measurement and IAA in everyday life, small interventions can be performed quickly and easily.
Detecion of emotional situations
Measurement of electrodermal activity (EDA) provides an excellent insight into the activity of a person's autonomic nervous system. As a result, EDA is an accurate method for detecting emotional arousal. In combination with the movisensXS experience sampling platform, it provides an ideal way to collect objective and subjective data together in an interactive ambulatory assessment. The sensor transmits the calculated EDA values to a smartphone, on which the user can use various algorithms to launch a questionnaire in certain physiological situations, for example, in order to collect further data.
Combining different sensor parameters
The combination of different sensors in the Interactive Ambulatory Assessment offers a wide range of additional options for detecting specific situations in which a trigger can be activated in the Experience Sampling Platform. For example, the combination of heart rate and physical activity can be used to define a trigger algorithm that triggers when a change in heart rate or HRV is detected, but the physical activity does not exceed a certain threshold.
Integration of sensor control functions
To ensure the smooth running of the study, a number of control mechanisms have been incorporated to monitor the functioning of the sensors.
- SensorTrigger detects that the sensor has disconnected
- SensorTrigger detects the sensor cannot start measuring
- Sensor battery empty
- mobile phone battery empty
Trigger algorithms
You have the freedom to select different algorithms for each individual participant, and also further customize the existing algorithms within groups. There's a range of existing algorithms developed for specific research projects that provide a small sampling of what is possible with this innovative technology. If you have an existing algorithm that you would like to utilize, or an idea for a physiological marker that you would like to have as a trigger, please contact us to discuss its implementation.
Sample studies
SedentaryMood-Study
What influence does Sedentary Behavior have on mood?
Despite recent research, the extent to which sedentary behavior affects mental health remains relatively unknown. However, the few available findings indicate that a connection could exist. "Sitting changes the activity of metabolism and therefore it doesn´t seem absurd, that this can also influence the psychological processes." If the link between sedentary behaviour and adverse psychological health exists, understanding it would prove valuable in the fight against psychosomatic diseases.
...read more in our Sedentary Mood study articles
Useful information
Whether Interactive Ambulatory Assessment (IAA), Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMAs) or Ecological Momentary Interventions (EMIs), with movisens you’ll realize innovative research ideas and capture insightful data at the right time, in real time and in everyday life .
IAA uses technology to monitor, collect and analyse data from individuals in real time as they go about their daily activities, usually outside of a clinical setting. This method enables continuous monitoring of various parameters such as physiological, behavioural and environmental factors.
The sensor and software solutions developed and produced by movisens are ideal for this data collection.
Any questions? - moviDocs have the right answer!
Answers and instructions for use can be found on our Docs.
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