Lifestyle interventions delivered by eHealth in chronic kidney disease: A scoping review

The awareness of chronic kidney disease in non-medical female university students: A cross-sectional in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Assessing the level of knowledge about Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is very crucial for society. Research on CKD knowledge can help to identify gaps in public understanding and develop targeted educational interventions to improve public awareness of CKD.

AIM

To assess the level of awareness of CKD among non-medical students in Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2023 to November 2023 including 523 non-medical female university students in Riyadh region. A self-administer questionnaire was designed and used for collecting the required data. The information viz. age, nationality, residential area, university, educational level, study field, academic year, and income were obtained from each participant. Information for knowledge of CKD knowledge and associated risk factors were also obtained in the study.

RESULTS

The study concluded non-medical female university students had an unsatisfactory level of knowledge regarding CKD. We found a significant association (p < 0.05) between the adequacy of general knowledge, knowledge of risk factors, complications, and active preventive measures regarding CKD with the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants.

CONCLUSION

The study found that most non-medical female students have an unsatisfactory level of knowledge regarding CKD, therefore, educational materials should be developed and distributed to inform people more about CKD risk factors, symptoms, and treatment options like organizations that can offer educational events and webinars on CKD. These events can be a great way to learn about CKD from experts in the field and to ask questions about specific concerns.

eHealth Solutions for Symptom Assessment and Monitoring in Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review

AIMS

This systematic review examined eHealth solutions used to assess and monitor symptoms among adults with CKD.

DESIGN

A systematic review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA checklist. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD4202452973).

METHODS

Seven databases were searched for English language studies that reported eHealth solutions for symptom assessment and monitoring in CKD between January 2000 and May 2024. The methodological quality of studies was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and a co-design evaluation tool.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight studies involving 4345 participants with CKD were included. Most of the included studies were non-randomised controlled trials (n = 16) and non-experimental studies (n = 13); only a few studies (n = 9) were randomised controlled trials. Current eHealth solutions varied in technologies and functions but were primarily focused on self-monitoring (n = 22), data recording (n = 14), education (n = 13), providing information (n = 10) and reminders/alerts (n = 10). There was limited evidence from few intervention studies involving eHealth solutions showing improvements in CKD symptoms and/or health-related quality of life. Among the 14 studies that assessed user satisfaction, satisfaction was high, but challenges and barriers to implementing these solutions were reported.

CONCLUSION

eHealth solutions have the potential to facilitate symptom assessment and monitoring for adults with CKD, but further high-quality experimental studies are required to provide better evidence in practice.

SUMMARY

eHealth symptom assessment and monitoring are increasing in practice. While some adults are willing and able to use eHealth solutions, barriers remain due to limited digital health literacy. As few randomised controlled trials exist, further studies are needed to evaluate the benefits of reducing chronic kidney disease symptom burden.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No Patient or Public Contribution.

TELEnutrition and KIdNey hEalth Study: protocol for a randomised controlled trial comparing the effect of digital health to standard care on serum phoSphate control in patients on dIalysiS (TeleKinesis Study)

INTRODUCTION

Diet and nutrition play a vital role in all stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevention, treatment and management. In particular, dietary interventions are essential to manage hyperphosphataemia, a common metabolic complication in CKD consistently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, dietary management of any kind in this cohort of patients also comes with the added challenge of limited and variable access to renal dietitians, logistical difficulties and multiple medical appointments. Given the complexity of managing diet in patients on dialysis, there is a need for novel interventions that not only help patients navigate daily challenges but could also be integrated into clinical practice to support the work of dietitians. We are testing if the use of digital health (via a new, specifically designed smartphone App) plus standard care compared to standard care alone is a feasible and effective method of delivering nutritional advice to patients with elevated phosphate levels undertaking dialysis.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a multicentre codesigned randomised controlled trial (RCT) that will recruit individuals aged 18 years or over on maintenance dialysis for a minimum of 3 months who have a serum phosphate level of ≥1.6 mmol/L. Participants will be recruited from 23 different dialysis sites across Australia. They will be block randomised into two groups in a 1:1 ratio that will either be the intervention group (receive the TeleKinesis App for 3 months in addition to standard care) or the control group (standard care alone). The primary outcome of the study is to assess the effect of this intervention on the change in patients' serum phosphate levels. The RCT will assess the effectiveness of the programme by comparing serum phosphate at baseline, 3 months and follow-up at 6 months. A total recruitment target of n=180 participants is expected.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval was received from the Sir Charles Gairdner and Osborne Park Health Care Group Human Research Ethics Committee on 5 December 2022 (reference RGS0000005559). Informed consent will be given by participants once they have read and signed the patient information and consent form. The results are expected to be published in scientific journals and presented at clinical research conferences and to the consumers who have taken part in the trial. This is protocol 1.0 dated 10 November 2024.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ACTRN12621000746831.

Assessing Patient Use of and Attitudes toward eHealth Services for Communication with Primary Care Centers in Saudi Arabia and Factors Affecting Usage

BACKGROUND

This study investigates patients' use of eHealth services, their awareness of the availability of these services, and their intention to use them in primary care. It also examines patient characteristics and factors that influence the use of these services.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design using questionnaires was conducted. Based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), the participants rated the two most common services. Descriptive analyses and linear correlation analyses were performed. A simple linear regression was conducted to identify factors influencing the participants' intention to use eHealth services.

RESULTS

In total, 1203 participants with an average age of 43.7 years were surveyed. The participants' usage rates varied, with the lowest at 2.4%, for measuring vital signs, and the highest at 47.4%, for booking appointments. The intentions to use the services ranged from 22.5%, for video consultations, to 46.6%, for prescription refill requests. Approximately 20% of the respondents were unaware of each service's availability. Positive associations were found between all the constructs and the intention to use online services, with a younger age being the most significant factor.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of and intention to use eHealth services varied greatly. The participants were often unaware of the availability of these services. Promoting the availability and benefits of eHealth services could enhance patient engagement in primary care settings.

Mobile health management among end stage renal disease patients: a scoping review

Aims

The health management of end-stage renal disease patients is a complicated process, and mobile health management technology provides a new choice for the health management of end-stage renal disease patients. The scope of clinical studies on mobile health management for patients with end-stage renal disease was reviewed, and found that about mobile health management problems existing in the literature were identified to provide ideas for subsequent mobile health management research.

Methods

The databases Web of Science, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, Wan Fang Data, BMJ, and VIP were systematically searched for studies on Mobile health management among end-stage renal disease in adult and adolescent patients or children undergoing kidney replacement therapy. The search covered the period from the inception of the databases to June 20, 2023. Two independent reviewers conducted the literature screening process. Following eligibility screening, a total of 38 papers were included for data extraction and descriptive analysis.

Results

A total of 38 studies from 14 countries were finally included. The majority of which were interventional trials. The platforms used in these studies included remote monitoring systems, apps, websites, mobile phones or tablets, and social platforms. These platforms provided patients with a wide range of services, including disease management, behavioral intervention, social support, and follow-up care. Most studies focused on patient clinical indicators, patient experience, quality of life, and healthcare costs.

Conclusion

Our findings that mobile health management has been widely used in disease management of end-stage renal disease patients, with rich management content and many evaluation indicators. Future studies should strengthen the evaluation of patients' mental health, quality of life, and healthcare costs. Additionally, developing a clinical decision support system would enable mobile health management to play a more effective role in end-stage renal disease patients.