How do I enable Garmin data collection in my program?

Turning on Garmin data collection is easy. In your WeGuide program, simply enable the health data module and select the Garmin metrics you'd like to collect. Once participants connect their Garmin device, their data will automatically sync to your program.

How do participants connect their Garmin devices?

Participants connect directly through the WeGuide app. They'll see a clear consent screen explaining what data will be shared, then log into their Garmin account to approve the connection. After that, their data syncs automatically in the background.

Can I collect data from multiple Garmin devices or study groups?

Yes. You can collect data from participants using different Garmin models within the same study. You can also create separate protocols or content for different study groups, all managed from one WeGuide platform.

What Garmin metrics can I access?

The integration supports a wide range of health metrics, including heart rate, HRV, steps, distance, calories, sleep, stress, respiration rate, SpO2, Body Battery, and more. You can choose which data points to enable based on your research needs.

Is participant consent required?

Yes. Participants must give explicit consent before any Garmin data is shared. They can manage or revoke access anytime through the WeGuide app, ensuring full transparency and control over their information.

Do I need to build any custom integrations?

No extra development is needed. Garmin data collection works out of the box once you turn on the module in your program. Everything from consent to syncing is handled through the WeGuide platform.

Can Garmin data be combined with other study measures?

Yes. You can integrate Garmin metrics with surveys, interventions, or other digital health modules within WeGuide. This lets you combine objective sensor data with patient-reported outcomes in a single platform.

What's the advantage of using Garmin via WeGuide?

Using Garmin through WeGuide removes the technical overhead of managing integrations yourself. You get reliable, consent-based data collection, automatic syncing, and ready-to-analyze exports — all within a platform already registered as a medical device. It's a turnkey setup that lets you focus on research rather than development or data management.

Garmin Integration for Health Data Collection

Q: How do I export Garmin data for analysis?

You can export tidy CSV files directly from your WeGuide dashboard. Export data for a single participant or for your entire cohort at once, ready for analysis in your preferred software.

Collect health data from Garmin devices, without extra build work. Set up a program, turn health data on, and your participants' Garmin data will start flowing into WeGuide via the Garmin SDK.

Trusted by leading research institutes worldwide

Reliability and scale

Built on Garmin Health SDK with data being sent directly to our medical grade database.

Consent-first

Clear in-app consent and easy device connection for participants. Participants can grant access to their Garmin data in the WeGuide app.

Ready for analysis

Export tidy CSVs when you need them. You can export data for a single participant or for your whole cohort.

Secure by design

Our platform is registered as a medical device, so ethics submissions are simplified and we can provide you with a data use agreement.

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How it works.

Setting up the Garmin integration is simple and doesn't require any technical expertise. Once you've created your program and turned on health data collection, your participants can connect their Garmin devices in just a few taps. From there, the data flows automatically into WeGuide's secure platform.

Create a program in WeGuide

Set up your study in the WeGuide platform. Add your team, participants, and study structure.

Turn health data collection on

Enable the health data collection module and select the Garmin metrics you need for your research.

Participants give consent

Your participants receive an in-app prompt to grant access to their Garmin data. It's clear, simple, and consent can be revoked anytime.

They connect their Garmin watch

Participants connect their Garmin device by signing into their Garmin account within the WeGuide app. No complicated setup required.

Data syncs automatically

Health data syncs in the background and is securely stored on WeGuide's servers. You can export it whenever you need.

Supported Health Data
Points and Devices

The Garmin integration supports a wide range if
health metrics. Availability depends on the drive
model, settings and participant consent

Heart Rate

Heart rate is captured continuously throughout the day and night. Garmin devices use optical heart rate sensors to track beats per minute (BPM) as individual data points. The data includes both current heart rate readings and resting heart rate values, which are calculated when the wearer is inactive.

Heart rate data can be streamed live during activities or logged at custom intervals (as low as 1 second). This makes it useful for studies tracking physical activity, stress response, or cardiovascular health. The data comes with timestamps showing when each reading was recorded.

How can it benefit your study?

Heart rate is one of the most reliable indicators of physical exertion, recovery, and autonomic nervous system activity. It's commonly used in exercise science, cardiology studies, and mental health research to understand how the body responds to different conditions.

Sampling rate

Every individual data point captured, or configurable logging intervals (1 second to 1 hour)

Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

Heart rate variability measures the time between each heartbeat. It's a strong indicator of autonomic nervous system balance and overall health. Garmin devices calculate HRV using beat-to-beat interval (BBI) data captured from the heart rate sensor.

HRV is particularly useful in studies looking at stress, recovery, and resilience. Higher variability generally indicates better cardiovascular fitness and stress resilience, while lower variability can signal fatigue, illness, or chronic stress.

How can it benefit your study?

HRV is used in clinical research, sports science, and mental health studies to track recovery patterns, stress levels, and autonomic function. It provides deeper insight than heart rate alone and can reveal subtle changes in a participant's condition over time.

Sampling rate

Every heartbeat captured as individual data points, or via BBI (beat-to-beat interval) data logging

Steps and Distance

Steps are counted using the device's accelerometer, which detects movement patterns consistent with walking or running. Garmin devices also estimate distance travelled based on step count and user-entered stride length or GPS data (where available).

Step data is logged at 1-minute intervals and can be accessed for any date range. It's one of the most straightforward metrics for tracking daily activity levels and adherence to physical activity goals.

How can it benefit your study?

Steps and distance are simple, reliable measures of physical activity. They're commonly used in public health research, rehabilitation studies, and behaviour change programmes to track movement patterns and activity compliance.

Sampling rate

1-minute intervals

Calories and Intensity Minutes

Garmin devices estimate calorie burn throughout the day, breaking it down into resting calories, active calories, and total calories. Intensity minutes track time spent in moderate or vigorous activity based on heart rate zones.

These metrics give you a complete picture of a participant's energy expenditure and activity intensity. Intensity minutes are especially useful for studies focused on meeting physical activity guidelines (e.g., 150 minutes of moderate activity per week).

How can it benefit your study?

Calorie and intensity data are helpful for studies focused on weight management, metabolic health, and physical activity interventions. They provide objective measures of how hard participants are working during exercise or daily tasks.

Sampling rate

Every data point captured throughout the day; summary data available daily

Sleep (Stages and Summary)

Garmin devices track sleep automatically, detecting when the wearer falls asleep and wakes up. Sleep data includes total sleep time, time spent in each sleep stage (light, deep, REM), and periods of wakefulness during the night.

Sleep processing happens either on the device itself (for newer models) or via Garmin's servers (for older models). The data is broken into granular intervals so you can see how sleep quality changes throughout the night.

How can it benefit your study?

Sleep is a key indicator of recovery, mental health, and overall wellbeing. Studies in psychology, neuroscience, and chronic disease management use sleep data to understand how interventions affect rest quality and circadian rhythms.

Sampling rate

Continuous overnight tracking with granular interval data

Stress

Stress is calculated using heart rate variability (HRV) and presented as a score from 0 to 100. Lower scores indicate a calm, relaxed state, while higher scores suggest physical or mental stress. Garmin devices update stress readings throughout the day whenever the wearer is still enough for an accurate HRV measurement.

Stress tracking is passive and doesn't require any action from the participant. It's useful for understanding how daily activities, work, or interventions affect stress levels over time.

How can it benefit your study?

Stress data is valuable in mental health research, workplace wellness programmes, and studies focused on chronic stress or burnout. It provides an objective measure that complements self-reported stress assessments.

Sampling rate

Continuous updates when stationary; logging intervals from 1 second to 1 hour

Respiration Rate

Respiration rate measures breaths per minute, calculated using movement detected by the device's accelerometer and optical heart rate sensor. Garmin tracks respiration continuously during sleep and periodically during the day when the wearer is still.

Respiration rate can be an early indicator of illness, stress, or changes in fitness. It's especially useful in studies tracking respiratory health or recovery from illness.

How can it benefit your study?

Respiration rate is used in clinical studies, sleep research, and wellness programmes to monitor breathing patterns and detect changes that might signal health concerns or recovery progress.

Sampling rate

Every individual data point captured, or logging intervals (1 second to 1 hour)

Pulse Ox (SpO2)

Pulse oximetry measures blood oxygen saturation levels using the device's optical sensor. Garmin watches can track SpO2 overnight (to monitor sleep quality and breathing) or on demand during the day.

SpO2 is particularly useful in studies focused on respiratory health, altitude training, or sleep apnoea. Lower oxygen levels can indicate breathing disruptions or other health concerns.

How can it benefit your study?

SpO2 data is commonly used in respiratory research, high-altitude studies, and sleep disorder investigations. It provides insight into how well oxygen is being delivered throughout the body during rest and activity.

Sampling rate

Every individual data point captured, or logging intervals (1 second to 1 hour); continuous overnight tracking on supported devices

Body Battery

Heart rate is captured continuously throughout the day and night. Garmin devices use optical heart rate sensors to track beats per Body Battery is Garmin's proprietary metric that combines heart rate variability, stress, sleep quality, and activity levels to estimate the wearer's available energy reserves. It's scored from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more energy and lower scores suggesting fatigue. (BPM) as individual data points. The data includes both current heart rate readings and resting heart rate values, which are calculated when the wearer is inactive.

Body Battery increases during rest and sleep and decreases with physical activity and stress. It's updated throughout the day and gives participants (and researchers) a simple way to understand overall energy levels and recovery status.

How can it benefit your study?

Body Battery is useful in studies focused on recovery, overtraining, or managing chronic fatigue. It provides a single, easy-to-understand metric that reflects how well a participant is managing their energy and stress.

Sampling rate

Continuous updates throughout the day

Floors Climbed (Ascent/Descent)

Garmin devices use a barometric altimeter to detect changes in elevation, allowing them to count floors climbed and descended. One floor is roughly equivalent to 3 metres of elevation gain.

This metric is useful for studies focused on daily activity, mobility, or rehabilitation where vertical movement is an important measure of progress or effort.

How can it benefit your study?

Floors climbed provides additional context for physical activi...

Questions

Find answers to frequently asked questions about using our Integration Engine for handling your research data or medical data

What is eConsent, and how does it work?

eConsent refers to the electronic process of obtaining informed consent from participants in clinical trials or health programs. With WeGuide, participants can review interactive consent forms, including text, videos, and quizzes, and provide their signature digitally. This ensures they fully understand the study before consenting.

How does WeGuide integrate with REDCap?

Yes, with WeGuide, you can customise every aspect of the consent process. Use our form builder to add videos, audio, quizzes, and conditional logic, creating an interactive and engaging experience tailored to your trial’s needs.

How do I update consent forms for protocol changes or sub studies?

Our platform allows dynamic updates to your eConsent process. You can easily modify or add new consent requirements as protocols evolve or sub studies are launched, keeping everything compliant and up-to-date.

Can WeGuide collect consent in multiple languages?

Absolutely. WeGuide supports multi-language consent collection, enabling you to engage participants from diverse backgrounds and ensure they understand the process in their preferred language.

How is participant data stored and protected?

Participant data is stored on medically certified infrastructure, compliant with TGA Class 1 and ISO 27001 standards. We use advanced encryption and strict access controls to safeguard sensitive information.

How can I ensure participants understand the consent process?

Our interactive consent forms allow you to add videos, audio, and quizzes, ensuring participants fully understand the study and what they’re agreeing to. This improves engagement and comprehension.

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Can I track who has completed their consent forms?

Yes, WeGuide’s platform provides real-time tracking of consent status. You can monitor which participants have completed the process and send reminders to those who haven’t.

How quickly can I implement eConsent in my trial?

WeGuide’s eConsent solution is quick to set up and integrate. Our team will guide you through the process, from creating consent forms to launching them within your program.

How do participants complete the consent form?

Participants can complete the eConsent form seamlessly within your program. The consent form is added as a task, which they can access and start at their convenience. They review the interactive form, including text, videos, or quizzes, and provide their signature at the end. Once the eConsent form is completed, additional tasks or steps in the program can automatically be made available to them, streamlining their journey through the study.

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