Feasibility and digital biomarker profiling of a wearable-integrated exercise application (Rheuma-Fit) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis: Real-world pilot data

26rhk018 10.3205/26rhk018 urn:nbn:de:0183-26rhk0187 Meeting Abstract Feasibility and digital biomarker profiling of a wearable-integrated exercise application (Rheuma-Fit) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis: Real-world pilot data Tabaga Tabaga Emilia E

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology, Erlangen, Deutschland

author Temiz Temiz Alp A

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Deutsches Zentrum für Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Deutschland Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology, Erlangen, Deutschland

author Schäfer Schäfer Paula-Marie PM

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology, Erlangen, Deutschland

author Nissen Nissen Michael M

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Machine Learning and Data Analytics Lab, Erlangen, Deutschland

author Flaucher Flaucher Madeleine M

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Machine Learning and Data Analytics Lab, Erlangen, Deutschland

author Schett Schett Georg G

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Department of Medicine 3 – Rheumatology and Immunology, Erlangen, Deutschland Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Deutsches Zentrum für Immuntherapie (DZI), Erlangen, Deutschland

author Morf Morf Harriet H

author German Medical Science GMS Publishing House

Düsseldorf

610 20260909 engl This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Dieser Artikel ist ein Open-Access-Artikel und steht unter den Lizenzbedingungen der Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (Namensnennung). M0656 018 Deutsche Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie Deutsche Gesellschaft für Orthopädische Rheumatologie Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie 54. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie (DGRh), 36. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendrheumatologie (GKJR), 40. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädische Rheumatologie (DGORh) Deutscher Rheumatologiekongress 2026 Digitale Rheumatologie Leipzig 20260909 20260912 DR.05 German Research Foundation Horizon Health 2022 TextIntroduction: Regular physical activity is a key non-pharmacological component in the management of rheumatic diseases, yet long-term adherence remains challenging . Wearable-integrated digital therapeutics may enable continuous monitoring of physical activity and physiological responses, providing objective digital biomarkers for personalized exercise therapy . Our objective is to evaluate feasibility, usability, baseline clinical characteristics, and exploratory wearable-derived digital biomarkers in rheumatic patients using the Rheuma-Fit application with smartwatch integration.Methods: Adult SpA patients used Rheuma-Fit over approximately three months. Baseline characteristics were collected via entry questionnaire. Usability was assessed using the System Usability Scale (SUS). Patient-reported outcomes included FACIT-Fatigue, HAQ, SF-36, and TSK. Continuous smartwatch data (heart rate and step counts) were processed, quality-checked, aggregated to hourly intervals, and analyzed descriptively for coverage, variability, circadian patterns, and heart rate–step correlations.Results: Twenty-four patients were included at baseline (63% female; mean age 49.6±10.4 years; BMI 28.8±7.9 kg/m²). Moderate to severe fatigue was frequent (FACIT), and HAQ indicated minimal to moderate functional impairment with domain heterogeneity. SF-36 showed marked interindividual variability across physical and mental components. Usability was overall acceptable (SUS 45–100), with several “excellent” or “best imaginable” ratings. TSK scores (19–49) reflected heterogeneous kinesiophobia. Wearable data demonstrated prolonged monitoring (up to >2,200 hours/user). Mean heart rate ranged ~70–100 bpm, with substantial variability in hourly step counts. Heart rate–step correlations were consistently positive but individually variable, indicating differing exercise intensity patterns. Circadian heart rate profiles were physiologically plausible, supporting good wear-time adherence.Conclusion: Rheuma-Fit with wearable integration is feasible in rheumatic patienst and achieves acceptable usability in most users, despite marked interindividual variability. Continuous digital biomarkers, including step-derived activity levels, heart rate dynamics, and circadian profiles, capture meaningful heterogeneity in physical behavior and physiological response. These findings support the potential of wearable-derived digital biomarkers to inform personalized, data-driven exercise interventions in rheumatic patients and justify larger controlled studies to evaluate clinical effectiveness and the prognostic value of digital biomarkers in personalized exercise therapy.Disclosures: The authors thank all participating patients and the whole team of Medizinische Klinik 3 for their support of this project. This work was partially supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – SFB 1483 – Project-ID 442419336 and the Horizon Health 2022 project SPIDeRR (project code 101080711). 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Nat Rev Rheumatol 2024 Knitza J, Gupta L, Hügle T. Rheumatology in the digital health era: status quo and quo vadis? Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2024 Dec;20(12):747-759. DOI: 10.1038/s41584-024-01177-7 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41584-024-01177-7 0 0 0 0