ReMonit Gout
Digital home follow-up and management of gout
Project Manager
PhD fellow
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Gout is an inflammatory rheumatic disease characterized by recurrent, very painful attacks. If you walk with an elevated uric acid level over time, uric acid crystals can form, which in turn can lead to an inflammatory reaction in the joints (arthritis). Gout is the only one of the inflammatory rheumatic diseases that can be cured, i.e. the patients can avoid having the painful attacks if they receive the right dose of drug treatment and if they continue to take the drugs for many years.
In the current course of treatment, all patients who are to start uric acid-lowering drugs receive a one-hour conversation with a nurse, who informs them about the disease, the treatment goal, drug treatment and dietary advice. The patient is then followed up with monthly blood sampling and telephone consultation with a nurse until the treatment goal is reached.
In this study, we will develop a 'coping app' for patients with gout. The app will contain useful information (text and video) about the disease and about the recommended treatment as well as reminders, support and motivation for the patients to follow the recommended treatment. This app will be tested in a randomised, controlled non-inferiority study where we want to investigate whether a coping app and digital distance follow-up are no worse than the current telephone follow-up with a nurse.
WHO CAN JOIN?
Patients diagnosed with gout and have an elevated uric acid level can participate in the study.
Recruitment of participants for the study has not started yet.
WHAT DOES THE STUDY INCLUDE?
The patients will fill in patient-reported data before being randomly allocated to one of two groups:
- One group (the control group) must be followed up according to the current course of treatment with monthly blood sampling and telephone consultation with a nurse.
- The other group (the intervention group) will be given access to a self-management app and will be followed up remotely by a nurse through regular patient reporting from home through the Youwell app.
After 1 year, it will be evaluated whether the use of a self-management app and digital home follow-up is not inferior to nurse-led follow-up with telephone consultations.