Privacy Policy

CanBeWell is a mobile health application developed by Emory University to support research studies focused on promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors and improving health outcomes among individuals affected by cancer.

Protecting your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains what information is collected through CanBeWell, how it is used, how it is protected, and your rights as a participant.

Accounts and Eligibility

CanBeWell is a closed research application. It is not open to the general public and there is no public sign-up or self-registration. The app provides no way to create an account.

• Accounts are created and issued by the CanBeWell research team to enrolled study participants only.
• Participants receive their login credentials from the research team after they have been enrolled in an approved study.
• Without credentials issued by the research team, the app cannot be used and no personal data is collected.

Information We Collect

When you use CanBeWell, we may collect the following types of information as part of approved research studies:

• Account information: Name, email address, or study ID.
• Self-reported data: Survey responses related to symptoms, quality of life, diet, physical activity, or other health behaviors.
• Dietary information: Food photos and related dietary data entered through the app.
• App usage data: Login activity and module completion.

Note: CanBeWell does not collect financial information, contact lists, call history, or unrelated personal data.

Fitbit and Wearable Health Data

CanBeWell accesses your Fitbit health data through the Google Health API. When you connect your Fitbit account, you grant CanBeWell read-only access to the following data via these specific Google Health API scopes:

• Activity and fitness data (googlehealth.activity_and_fitness.readonly): Steps, calories burned, distance traveled, and active minutes.
• Health metrics and measurements (googlehealth.health_metrics_and_measurements.readonly): Heart rate, body measurements, and other health metrics recorded by your Fitbit device.
• Sleep data (googlehealth.sleep.readonly): Sleep duration, sleep stages, and sleep quality information.
• Profile data (googlehealth.profile.readonly): Basic Fitbit profile information required for data retrieval.

All Fitbit data collected through CanBeWell is downloaded and stored anonymously. Your data is de-identified and associated only with an anonymous study identifier, not with your name or personal contact information.

How Your Information Is Used

Information collected through CanBeWell is used for research and study-related purposes, including:

• Conducting approved clinical or behavioral research studies.
• Delivering personalized, study-related content and feedback.
• Monitoring study engagement and adherence.
• Providing personalized health recommendations based on your activity, sleep, and dietary data.
• Analyzing aggregated and anonymized data to improve research interventions and scientific understanding.
• Future research analysis: Your anonymized health data may be used in future approved research studies to advance understanding of health behaviors and outcomes.
• AI model training: Your anonymized data may be used to train and improve artificial intelligence models designed to provide better health recommendations and research insights.
• Enhancing the functionality and usability of the app.

Your information will not be used for advertising or commercial purposes.

Data Storage and Security

• Data collected through CanBeWell is stored on secure, password-protected servers maintained by Emory University or approved service providers, including Google Cloud Firestore and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
• All health data is encrypted at rest and in transit using industry-standard encryption protocols (e.g., HTTPS/TLS, AES-256).
• Access to stored data is restricted to authorized research personnel only.
• Fitbit health data is stored in anonymized form, separated from personally identifiable account information.

Data Retention

• Data collected through CanBeWell is retained indefinitely by Emory University as part of the research record. It is kept for the duration of the research study and for any subsequent approved analyses, including future approved research and AI model development described above.
• Retention is required by the research protocol and by institutional and regulatory record-keeping obligations that apply to study data.
• You may disconnect your Fitbit account at any time through the app, which stops future data collection. Data already collected remains in the research record.

Data Deletion

• There is no data deletion process. CanBeWell does not accept requests to delete previously collected study data, and study data is not erased on request.
• This is because the data forms part of an approved research record that must remain intact for scientific integrity, verification, and regulatory compliance.
• Because accounts are issued and managed by the research team, deleting an account through the app is not possible either. You may stop using the app or withdraw from the study at any time, and no further data will be collected.

Your Rights

• You may revoke access to your Fitbit data at any time by disconnecting your account in the app or by revoking permissions in your Google Account settings.
• You may request a copy of the data we hold about you.
• You may withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. Withdrawal stops further data collection but does not delete data already collected.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact the CanBeWell research team at Emory University.