Albert Health App PEG study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Single arm feasibility study of a digital health app to support adults with managing a PEG feeding tube after insertion.
IRAS ID
344422
Contact name
Helen Steed
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 29 days
Research summary
7000 people have a hollow plastic tube inserted directly through the skin and into their stomach each year to be able to take food and fluid. Many of these are older adults with cancer or serious medical illness, but often living at home and looked after by their families.
The PPI group reported that having a feeding tube and learning how to use it can be overwhelming at first. They reported that written information in the form of leaflets was “very daunting” and a “bit scary at first”. Around 30% will experience complications in the first 30 days.
Despite community support services, a proportion will need to seek help at the Accident and Emergency department. Most of them will not require admission and some of those who are admitted could have avoided admission with earlier targeted help and advice. The PPI group recommendation was to improve access to early advice for problems.
Our aim is to test Albert Health a digital health app, co-created with staff and patients to support patients and carers with a newly inserted feeding tube to use and manage the tube care.We will undertake a mixed-methods feasibility study to determine whether the Albert Health app is appropriate for further testing in a randomised controlled trial. This will include interview and numerical data on whether the UK user needs are met, how easy it is for staff to show to patients, if patients will use it, and how accessible it is. This will be achieved by measuring whether participants engage with the notifications and information, questionnaires and interviewing them to understand how easy they found it to use. Other than the interviews, the data will be collected through the Albert Health app.
REC name
East of England - Essex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/EE/0052
Date of REC Opinion
12 May 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion