NHS trials home testing for chronic kidney disease
Tens of thousands of patients at risk of kidney disease will be able to get tested at home as part of a £30m technology and AI innovation fund this winter.
The Healthy.io early detection device will initially be sent to 30,000 patients who are considered most at risk for kidney disease.
Analysis suggests the device could help detect 1,300 cases of undiagnosed chronic kidney disease (CKD) over the coming months, as well as stopping some patients from developing end-stage renal disease – improving outcomes for individuals and reducing pressure on the NHS by preventing unplanned hospital admissions.
Patients place a small device in a urine sample before scanning the device into an app which gives immediate results on whether a patient may have a kidney condition. The test results are immediately uploaded to the patient’s electronic medical record for clinical review.
The National CKD Audit projects that for every 100 patients prevented from developing moderate to severe CKD through early detection, seven acute kidney injuries, six cardiovascular events, two ICU admissions and seven deaths are avoided.
The trial of the app and device in West Yorkshire is part of the £30m Health Technology Adoption and Accelerator Fund, launched by the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, and made available to local NHS teams to support faster deployment of promising innovations.
In another scheme supported by the Fund, hundreds of older adults who are frequent users of NHS services in Norfolk and Waveney and North East London are set to benefit from wearable technology which shares vital health signs with their GP, helping identify health problems earlier.
The ‘Feebris kit’ monitors blood pressure and heart rates through a digital stethoscope, and can alert the patient’s GP if they have a fall.
Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS England’s medical director for transformation, said: ‘The NHS is constantly looking for innovative solutions that will free up clinical time and improve care for patients, and the plans we have been able to support promise to do exactly that.
‘Whether by detecting potentially life-threatening conditions like chronic kidney disease earlier from the comfort of people’s homes, or supporting GPs to monitor changes in patients’ health and detect when they have falls, this latest push is another example of how local NHS teams are embracing the latest tech to improve care for their communities.’
Health and social care secretary Victoria Atkins said: ‘We provided £30m this winter to roll out innovative medical technology to ease pressure on the NHS – and it’s already having an impact.
‘This kidney disease device has saved lives and could help to identify thousands more cases – while hundreds of elderly patients will be able to identify health issues more quickly thanks to wearable technology.
‘Moving forward, I’m focused on adopting the latest cutting edge technology to ensure patients can receive faster and simpler care in the comfort of their homes and cut down on unnecessary trips to hospital.’
Image: julien Tromeur
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