Physical ActivityB-WellNCT02850094
The BWH Wellness Project
A study testing Financial Bonuses in people with Physical Activity, run by Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Trial summary
The investigators propose a 24 week program to provide proof-of-principle evidence that financial incentives stimulate Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) employees to be more physically active. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 21 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Physical Activity
- What is being tested?
- Financial Bonuses
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 292 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- Jul 2014to Jun 2015
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 21 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Brigham and Women's Hospital employee
- Reported less than 30 minutes of exercise per week
- Use a computer daily at work or home
- Willing to wear a pedometer, undergo health screening, and complete occasional questionnaires
Who cannot join
- Occupation: Physician, nurse or other clinician
- Self-reported pregnancy at baseline
About this study
Official title: The Brigham and Women's Hospital Wellness Project
The investigators propose a 24 week program to provide proof-of-principle evidence that financial incentives stimulate Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) employees to be more physically active.
Read the detailed description
Participants wear a Fitbit Flex accelerometer for at least six months. During the first two weeks, they are paid simply for wearing the Fitbit. After that, they are regularly paid for either meeting CDC guidelines for moderate physical activity (PA) or increasing their PA by at least 10% from the preceding week. Moderate PA is defined as walking for at least 100 steps per minute for at least 10 minutes at a time. One minute of vigorous PA, over 175 steps/minute, counts as two minutes of moderate PA.
In addition to weekly bonuses, there are also bonuses for achieving all goals in 1 month, 3 month, and 6 month intervals. In cases where all three team members received a bonus, their bonuses are doubled. Individuals also fill out weekly questionnaires about their work attendance, as well as longer questionnaires at baseline, three months, and six months.
- Conditions
- Physical Activity
- Being tested
- Financial Bonuses
- Keywords
- Physical activity, Exercise, Financial Incentives
- Medical subject headings
- Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Financial BonusesBehavioural
Each participant is eligible to receive $10 per week for increasing their minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity by 10% from the previous week, or for meeting CDC guidelines of 150 minutes/week. Participants who meet their target minutes of PA every week for one month, three months, or six months receive $15, $25, or $50 bonuses respectively. If all members of a team meet their individual PA goals, each participant's reward is doubled. In total, participants can earn up to $860 if they meet all their goals.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Bonuses | Experimental | For two weeks following enrollment, subjects are monitored via their FitBit accelerometer to monitor their pre-intervention physical activity levels. For a twenty-four week period following the observational period, participants are eligible for financial bonuses based on their increased activity. Participants enroll as teams and are eligible for additional financial bonuses based on their team's performance. Receives: Behavioral: Financial Bonuses |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Physical Activity
Minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (greater than 100 steps/minute)
Measured: 6 Months
Secondary outcomes (2)
Individuals Meeting CDC Guidelines
Percentage of cohort that achieved 150 minutes of moderate PA per week
Measured: 6 Months
Fitbit Adherence
Percentage of cohort that wore their Fitbit for four or more days per week for at least 20 out of 24 weeks
Measured: 6 Months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Jul 2016 (estimated)
- Study startJul 2014
- Primary completionJun 2015
- Study completionJun 2015
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Physical ActivityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Brigham and Women's HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 292 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Elena Losina, Brigham and Women's Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02850094
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2014P000970
- Acronym
- B-Well
- Status last verified
- Jul 2016
- First submitted
- 27 Jul 2016
- Last updated
- 24 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Meints SM, Yang HY, Collins JE, Katz JN, Losina E. Race Differences in Physical Activity Uptake Within a Workplace Wellness Program: A Comparison of Black and White Employees. Am J Health Promot. 2019 Jul;33(6):886-893. doi: 10.1177/0890117119833341. Epub 2019 Feb 26.
PubMed 30808208Losina E, Smith SR, Usiskin IM, Klara KM, Michl GL, Deshpande BR, Yang HY, Smith KC, Collins JE, Katz JN. Implementation of a workplace intervention using financial rewards to promote adherence to physical activity guidelines: a feasibility study. BMC Public Health. 2017 Dec 1;17(1):921. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4931-2.
PubMed 29195494Smith KC, Michl GL, Katz JN, Losina E. Meteorologic and Geographic Barriers to Physical Activity in a Workplace Wellness Program. J Phys Act Health. 2018 Feb 1;15(2):108-116. doi: 10.1123/jpah.2016-0731. Epub 2017 Nov 25.
PubMed 28872399
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Brigham and Women's Hospital Wellness Project
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02850094
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- B-Well / 2014P000970
- Conditions
- Physical Activity
- Keywords
- Physical activity, Exercise, Financial Incentives
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 292 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Brigham and Women's HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Jul 2014
- Primary completion
- Jun 2015 (actual)
- Study completion
- Jun 2015 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 Jul 2016 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The investigators propose a 24 week program to provide proof-of-principle evidence that financial incentives stimulate Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) employees to be more physically active.
Detailed description
Participants wear a Fitbit Flex accelerometer for at least six months. During the first two weeks, they are paid simply for wearing the Fitbit. After that, they are regularly paid for either meeting CDC guidelines for moderate physical activity (PA) or increasing their PA by at least 10% from the preceding week. Moderate PA is defined as walking for at least 100 steps per minute for at least 10 minutes at a time. One minute of vigorous PA, over 175 steps/minute, counts as two minutes of moderate PA.
In addition to weekly bonuses, there are also bonuses for achieving all goals in 1 month, 3 month, and 6 month intervals. In cases where all three team members received a bonus, their bonuses are doubled. Individuals also fill out weekly questionnaires about their work attendance, as well as longer questionnaires at baseline, three months, and six months.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Bonuses | Experimental | Behavioral: Financial BonusesFor two weeks following enrollment, subjects are monitored via their FitBit accelerometer to monitor their pre-intervention physical activity levels. For a twenty-four week period following the observational period, participants are eligible for financial bonuses based on their increased activity. Participants enroll as teams and are eligible for additional financial bonuses based on their team's performance. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 21 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Brigham and Women's Hospital employee
- Reported less than 30 minutes of exercise per week
- Use a computer daily at work or home
- Willing to wear a pedometer, undergo health screening, and complete occasional questionnaires
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Occupation: Physician, nurse or other clinician
- Self-reported pregnancy at baseline
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Financial BonusesEach participant is eligible to receive $10 per week for increasing their minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity by 10% from the previous week, or for meeting CDC guidelines of 150 minutes/week. Participants who meet their target minutes of PA every week for one month, three months, or six months receive $15, $25, or $50 bonuses respectively. If all members of a team meet their individual PA goals, each participant's reward is doubled. In total, participants can earn up to $860 if they meet all their goals. | Behavioural | Financial Bonuses |
Primary outcome
Physical Activity
Time frame: 6 Months
Minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (greater than 100 steps/minute)
2 secondary outcomes
Individuals Meeting CDC Guidelines
Time frame: 6 Months
Fitbit Adherence
Time frame: 6 Months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Nov 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 30808208Meints SM, Yang HY, Collins JE, Katz JN, Losina E. Race Differences in Physical Activity Uptake Within a Workplace Wellness Program: A Comparison of Black and White Employees. Am J Health Promot. 2019 Jul;33(6):886-893. doi: 10.1177/0890117119833341. Epub 2019 Feb 26.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 29195494Losina E, Smith SR, Usiskin IM, Klara KM, Michl GL, Deshpande BR, Yang HY, Smith KC, Collins JE, Katz JN. Implementation of a workplace intervention using financial rewards to promote adherence to physical activity guidelines: a feasibility study. BMC Public Health. 2017 Dec 1;17(1):921. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4931-2.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 28872399Smith KC, Michl GL, Katz JN, Losina E. Meteorologic and Geographic Barriers to Physical Activity in a Workplace Wellness Program. J Phys Act Health. 2018 Feb 1;15(2):108-116. doi: 10.1123/jpah.2016-0731. Epub 2017 Nov 25.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Financial Bonuses in people with Physical Activity, run by Brigham and Women's Hospital.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Nov 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Physical Activity (time frame: 6 Months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02850094, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Nov 2025.