TELECLINICAL CARE IN CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE: ACCEPTABILITY AND INITIAL USER TESTING OF A VIRTUAL EXERCISE DELIVERY PLATFORM
Thai Binh Tran1,2,3, JENNIFER NGUYEN3, MEG LETTON3,4, KIM DELBAERE4,5, CAROLINA SANDLER6,7,8, ZOLTAN ENDRE2, RIA ARNOLD1,3 1School of Medical, Indigenous and Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia2Department of Nephrology, Prince of Wales Hospital and Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia3School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia4Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia5School of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia6School of Health Sciences, Campbelltown Campus, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia7The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia8Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Abstract
Aim
We aimed to explore the feasibility of a smartphone application to deliver exercise for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) 3b-4.
Background
There is increasing demand for the use of digital technology to deliver healthcare for people with CKD. Physical activity is a key component of care but has not been incorporated in digital kidney health research.
Methods
We completed a mixed-method, single-group, feasibility and acceptability study at a major kidney care centre in metropolitan Sydney. People with CKD 3b-4 used a smartphone application called TeleClinical-Care (TCC-app) for 2 weeks. Feasibility was determined using an exercise compliance metric, set a-priori at 60% or ≥40 exercises. Participants completed a user-experience questionnaire and semi-structured interview to determine acceptability and explore barriers and enablers of use.
Results
There were 37 participants who provided consent to contact, 25 (68%) gave informed consent, 19 completed two-weeks use and 15 (41%) fulfilled the compliance metric. The user-experience questionnaire showed 90% of participants reporting “Good/Very good” user-friendliness. In our interviews, participants liked that the app was accessible and able to capture blood pressure and exercise exertion data. Participants enjoyed being physically active, but also reported inaccurate exercise instruction, limited social facilitation and a complicated interface. To optimise usability, participants suggested greater individualisation, gamification, automated data transmission and a simple and attractive interface. Participants who fulfilled the compliance metric also demonstrated a trend towards improvement for a ‘risk of mood disorders’ questionnaire (p=0.059).
Conclusion
The TCC-app was feasible and acceptable to deliver exercise for people with CKD. Future research may consider exploring factors influencing uptake in another nephrology unit with distinctive socio-cultural, demographic, and economic backgrounds before formal evaluation in clinical trials.
Biography
Thái Bình (Bình) Trần is a PhD candidate at the University of Wollongong. Between 2018 and 2022, Bình trained as an exercise physiologist and clinical researcher at the University of New South Wales and Prince of Wales Hospital and Clinical School. In 2023, he obtained an Australia Government Research Training Program scholarship to begin his PhD candidature at the University of Wollongong. His current area of research is health service research, including the incorporation of exercise physiology as part of regular care in tertiary kidney management. Outside of research, Bình works as an exercise physiologist delivering disability care, neurological rehabilitation, and mental healthcare for communities in the South-Western Sydney regions.