Evaluating Glanceable Multi-Device Family Health Tracking with Smartwatches and Home Displays

This study investigated how multi-device systems—specifically smartwatches and shared home displays—can support collaborative health tracking in families. While personal health tracking is well-studied, family informatics requires systems that accommodate multiple, often diverging, daily routines and social contexts. The researchers deployed the "FamilyBloom" system to 12 families (44 participants) over nine weeks. Families alternated between three conditions: smartwatch-only, home display-only, and a mixed condition combining both. The study focused on mood and goal tracking, which are central to behavior regulation, particularly for families managing conditions like ADHD.

The researchers found that the presence of a home display significantly increased self-tracking engagement, with 24% more mood entries and 48% more goal completions compared to smartwatch-only use. The two devices served distinct, synergistic roles: smartwatches supported opportunistic, in-the-moment tracking and awareness while family members were away from home, while home displays acted as ambient reminders and hubs for collaborative reflection during shared home routines.

Notably, the multi-device setup accommodated diverse family needs. The home display allowed family members who did not wear smartwatches (or who disliked wearables) to remain involved in family health discussions. However, the study also identified significant challenges: tracking fatigue occurred over time, and participants had to navigate the "maintenance burden" of keeping multiple devices charged and worn. Furthermore, the glanceable nature of the data on smartwatches sometimes created tensions between personal focus and family awareness, leading some users to switch watchfaces to manage distraction or privacy.

This research demonstrates that multi-device ecologies are not just about technical convenience; they are social systems. By distributing data across different form factors, families can maintain a sense of "mutual caregiving" even when they are not physically together. The study provides a roadmap for designers to create more inclusive health systems that respect individual preferences—such as tactile sensitivity or work-related device restrictions—while still fostering collective family health goals.