RePROM Pilot/Feasibility Study in Chronic Kidney Disease

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    The use of an electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measure in the Management of Patients with Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease – The RePROM Pilot Trial.

  • IRAS ID

    232960

  • Contact name

    Derek Kyte

  • Contact email

    d.g.kyte@bham.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Birmingham

  • ISRCTN Number

    ISRCTN12669006

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 10 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects 1 in 7 people in the UK. Those with advanced CKD may need demanding and costly treatments, such as dialysis, for the rest of their lives. These patients often experience a very poor quality of life and can also get worse very quickly. Unfortunately, this can happen between visits to their clinical team, meaning they need to go to hospital as an emergency and have more ill-health as a result.

    Some researchers and clinicians believe it would be helpful to ask patients to use a computer or smartphone to provide regular information about their quality of life and symptoms, in between their hospital appointments. This information can be collected using questionnaires known as ‘electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures’ or ePROMs.

    Kidney clinicians believe they could use ePROMs to find out if a patient needs urgent care, so they can take action straight away. This could help patients with advanced CKD by responding to their health needs before emergency care is needed.

    A randomised controlled trial (RCT) is needed to assess whether ePROM use can improve patient outcomes and safety when compared to standard treatment alone in the NHS. Before this happens, a pilot study is needed to determine if a RCT can be done.

    Design & Methods: this study will take place across two phases. 


    Phase 1 will focus on the development of the kidney ePROM system, which will allow: (i) patients to input their data in multiple ways (e.g. via computer or smartphone or tablet) and (ii) clinicians to view the patient’s status in real time.

    Phase 2 is a pilot trial, in which 66 consenting patients with advanced CKD will be randomly allocated to receive either standard treatment alone or standard treatment plus the ePROM.

  • REC name

    West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    18/WM/0013

  • Date of REC Opinion

    26 Feb 2018

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion