Mobile Health Monitoring for Kidney Stones

Overseen By Jenny Guo

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Northwestern University

Disqualifiers: No mobile phone, Impairment, Non-English, others

Stay on Your Current Meds You can continue your current medications while participating

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 6 months

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores whether a mobile health app called GetWell can help people with kidney stones adhere to their treatment plans and reduce recurrence. Participants are divided into three groups: one uses the app alongside regular doctor visits, another uses only the app, and the third follows standard care. Individuals who have experienced kidney stones and are interested in using a mobile app to follow treatment guidelines might be suitable candidates. Comfort with using a smartphone is important for participation. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative research that could enhance kidney stone management for many.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this trial?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to discuss this with the trial coordinators or your doctor.

What prior data suggests that this mobile health platform is safe for kidney stone monitoring?

Research shows that using the GetWell mobile health app to manage kidney stones is generally safe. Studies have found that these apps usually include privacy policies and security measures to protect users. In one study about the platform, no major issues affected patient satisfaction or quality of life, indicating that most users feel comfortable using the app. Additionally, since this technology is digital and not a drug or medical procedure, it avoids many side effects associated with traditional treatments. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about using mobile health (mHealth) tools like GetWell for managing kidney stones because they offer a new way to track and manage the condition remotely. Unlike traditional treatments that rely mainly on medications, surgeries, or manual follow-ups, mHealth allows for continuous health monitoring via smartphones. This means patients can receive real-time feedback and personalized advice on managing their kidney stones, potentially improving outcomes and reducing the need for frequent hospital visits. The convenience and accessibility of mHealth can empower patients to take a more active role in their health management, which could lead to better adherence to treatment plans and quicker responses to potential complications.

What evidence suggests that this mobile health platform is effective for kidney stone management?

Research has shown that mobile health apps like GetWell can assist people with kidney stones. In this trial, participants may receive standard care, standard care plus mHealth (GetWell), or mHealth (GetWell) alone. One study found that using GetWell for follow-up care improved patient cooperation and adherence to treatment compared to regular care. These apps also simplify learning about and following treatment plans. Additionally, mobile health tools can help reduce the recurrence of kidney stones by promoting habits like increased water intake. Overall, using GetWell may enhance kidney stone management and improve quality of life. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults over 18 who have had kidney stones and meet the American Urological Association guidelines for stone evaluation. They must be willing to follow treatment advice and able to use a mobile phone app called GetWell Loop.

Inclusion Criteria

I am over 18 years old.

You meet the guidelines for getting checked for kidney stones.

I have a history of kidney stones.

Exclusion Criteria

I do not have a mobile phone to use for health updates.

I cannot use a mobile phone or answer questionnaires due to physical or cognitive issues.

I am unable to give consent for the study myself.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants use a mobile health platform for surveillance of kidney stone formers, either alone or as an adjunct to standard office appointments

6 months

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• mHealth (GetWell)

Trial Overview The study is testing if a mobile health platform, GetWell Loop, can improve patient care by increasing adherence to treatment guidelines compared to standard office visits alone in managing kidney stones.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: standard care + mHealth (GetWell) Active Control 2 Interventions

Group II: mHealth (GetWell) Active Control 1 Intervention

Group III: Standard Care Placebo Group 1 Intervention

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Northwestern University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,674

Recruited

989,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

A review of 986 mobile healthcare apps related to kidney stone disease identified 83 that were analyzed, revealing a significant focus on fluid tracking (54 apps) but insufficient physician involvement in their development and data security measures.

Despite the availability of various apps for education and management of kidney stone disease, there is a critical need for better regulation and oversight to ensure their accuracy, safety, and adherence to FDA and Medical Device Regulation guidelines.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Current state of mobile health apps in endourology: a review of mobile platforms in marketplaces and literature. Talyshinskii, A., Bakhman, G., Hameed, BZ., et al.[2023]

A review of 31 mobile health apps for kidney stone disease found that fluid management apps are generally of higher quality than dietary apps, scoring better in technical quality, usability, and clinical value.

While most fluid apps provide good privacy policies, only 36% allow users to consent to secondary data use, highlighting a potential privacy concern despite their effectiveness in managing kidney stone disease.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Systematic Evaluation of Smartphone Applications for the Medical Management of Nephrolithiasis. Winoker, JS., Koo, K., Huang, MM., et al.[2021]

Citations

1. journals.lww.com journals.lww.com/juop/fulltext/2025/07000/usage_of_a_mobile_health_platform_for_surveillance.6.aspx

Usage of a Mobile Health Platform for Surveillance of Kidney We conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing a mobile health care plan created with GetWell (GW) to a standard kidney stone follow-up pathway over 12 ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11577489/

Systematic Evaluation of Smartphone Applications for the ... The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the quality of patient-oriented, mobile health applications (apps) available for medical management of ...

3. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/phase-nephrolithiasis-5-2022-eda3f

Mobile Health Monitoring for Kidney Stones What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment mHealth (GetWell) for kidney stones? Research suggests that mobile health applications can help improve ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2173578623000744

Review article Mobile and eHealth technologies in the ... Mobile and eHealth technologies have significant real-world applications to KSD prevention, intervention, and patient education.

5. liebertpub.com liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/end.2020.1005

Systematic Evaluation of Smartphone Applications for the ... With this in mind, perhaps our kidney stone patients are best served by relying on more disease-agnostic apps such as water intake trackers and ...

6. researchgate.net researchgate.net/publication/394707598_Usage_of_a_Mobile_Health_Platform_for_Surveillance_of_Kidney_Stone_Formers_A_Prospective_Study

Usage of a Mobile Health Platform for Surveillance ... Only 17 (26.6%) patients completed the entire 12-month study. There were no significant differences in WISQOL and stone satisfaction scores or ...

7. urologytimes.com urologytimes.com/view/investigators-develop-mobile-care-plan-for-patients-with-kidney-stones

Investigators develop mobile care plan for patients with ... It incorporates patient-specific data to reinforce dietary management, fluid intake, and medication adherence based on the patient's 24-hour ...

8. journals.lww.com journals.lww.com/auajuro/fulltext/2024/05001/mp26_02_development_of_a_novel_mobile_health.859.aspx

mp26-02 development of a novel mobile health platform for ... We designed a novel kidney stone mHealth care plan that incorporates patient-specific data to reinforce dietary management, fluid intake, and medication ...