Evaluation of the use of a Renal Health application by kidney transplant recipients.
Juliana Gomes Ramalho de Oliveira, Hélady Sanders-Pinheiro, Ronaldo Almeida de Freitas Filho and 3 others
PMID 36722638WHAT IT FOUND
146 of 225 registered kidney transplant app users entered no data, and most who did used it for only one day.
Those who entered data mainly recorded weight, creatinine, blood pressure, medications and appointments.
Key findings
01Of 225 registered kidney transplant section users, 146 did not enter information into the application.
02Among users who entered data, creatinine, weight, blood pressure, medication scheduling and appointments were the most common entries, but many creatinine and weight records were made only once.
03Most users who entered data used the application for only one day, and only 11 used it for more than 100 days.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
No health outcomes or adherence effects were measured, so the study cannot show that the app improved self-management or transplant care. It was a retrospective app database analysis with no comparison group, so patterns of use may reflect early interest rather than sustained engagement. The researchers could not confirm that all registered users were exclusively kidney transplant recipients. Many users entered no data, and only 11 of the 79 who entered data used the app for more than 100 days. Access to educational sections was not recorded, so the study could not assess health literacy use. Limited sociodemographic and clinical data prevented analysis of the sample reached by the app.
Declared interests
The supplied text reports funding from the International Society of Nephrology, grant #17-02-0155, Brazil. It does not report author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the Renal Health app improves kidney transplant self-management or outcomes. It showed low data entry and short-term use, and no health outcomes were measured.