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Published VersionCC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Telemedicine for outpatient care of kidney transplant and chronic kidney disease patients
Kidney International Reports, Vol.6(5), pp.1265-1272
2021
Abstract
Introduction: Telehealth videoconferencing (TVC) may improve access in rural areas, but reported uptake and outcomes among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are limited. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, sustainability, and clinical outcomes of TVC for this patient population. Methods: A total of 64 participants were recruited in this single-center, prospective, 2-year longitudinal, case-control study. Inclusion criteria for the telemedicine group included travel of $15 km to the hospital, and the control group was matched for transplant or CKD status, age, and sex. The primary outcome was feasibility ($50% of consultations for each individual patient in the telemedicine group being conducted by
TVC in year 1). Secondary outcomes were sustainability of telemedicine, change in blood pressure and creatinine, hospitalization, and travel distance. Results: There were 32 participants in both the telemedicine and control arms, with no baseline differences. The majority were male (65.6%) and the mean age was 63.9 years (SD ¼ 12.3 years). TVC uptake in year 1 in the telemedicine arm was 71% (interquartile range [IQR] ¼ 50.0100.0) but reduced significantly in year 2 (50.0% [IQR ¼ 33.371.4], P < 0.01). No significant differences in creatinine or blood pressure were observed between groups, including in the KTRs and CKD subgroup analysis. Patient satisfaction remained high for both groups. Compared with travel distance required if TVC was unavailable, travel distance in the TVC group decreased by 48% (16,644 km) in year 1 and by 37.0% (8177 km) in year 2. Conclusion: TVC was feasible and sustainable, with outcomes comparable to those of standard care. Larger studies, especially among KTRs, are needed to confirm these findings.
Details
- Title
- Telemedicine for outpatient care of kidney transplant and chronic kidney disease patients
- Authors
- Sebastiaan Lambooy (Author) - Sunshine Coast University Hospital (Australia)Rathika Krishnasamy (Author) - The University of QueenslandAndrea Pollock (Author) - Sunshine Coast University Hospital (Australia)Gerald Hilder (Author) - Sunshine Coast University Hospital (Australia)Nicholas A Gray (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health and Sport Sciences - Legacy
- Publication details
- Kidney International Reports, Vol.6(5), pp.1265-1272
- Publisher
- Elsevier Inc.
- Date published
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ekir.2021.02.016
- ISSN
- 2468-0249
- Copyright note
- Copyright (c) 2021 International Society of Nephrology. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
- Organisation Unit
- UniSC Clinical Trials Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99514108702621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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