With the market becoming saturated with fitness trackers and consumers becoming more sophisticated, moving beyond more basic considerations as to what a device looks like to considering what the device actually does in terms of the meaningfulness of the collected data and its accuracy, fitness technology companies are looking for new avenues to explore.
The new alliance between Fitbit and One Drop therefore reflects the intensification of competition in digital health market. One area within this sector where there is increasing consumer interest (perhaps reflective of a growing health concern) is with digital diabetes management services.
In terms of diabetes management services there are other major players in addition to One Drop. These include MySugr (operated by big pharmaceutical company Roche) and Glooko. The value model of these services is dependent upon having a large number of users. This is not so much in order to generate revenue but more so to boost reputation. Simply – the more data that is collected the more reliable the analyzed information.
With One Drop, the medical technology company provides its core service through an app. Data is collected through blood glucose monitors together with user input relating to external factors like the frequency of taking medication; the types of food eaten; and level of activity. The aim of the service is so that the app can provide useful advice to users to help them to manage their condition.
In order to place itself ahead of its rivals, One Drop has entered into a new partnership with Fitbit. The purpose is to use the data gathered from fitness trackers and to integrate this within the One Drop mobile app. This should provide insights into how activity levels affect blood glucose.
The information will be made available to the user and also shared with medics. Medics can then use the data for treatment plans and to help with medicinal advancements.
This is summed up by One Drop CEO Jeff Dachis, who told PharmaPhorum: “We strive to provide our community with the most comprehensive set of data and tools to manage their diabetes or prediabetes. Working with Fitbit, the leading global wearables brand, was a natural next step for One Drop.”
