Gout-SMARTv1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Gout-SMART(Gout Self-Management Aiming to Reach Target serum urate) v1.0
IRAS ID
232076
Contact name
Philip L Riches
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Lothian
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 6 months, 1 days
Research summary
Gout is a common type of arthritis, characterized by acute attacks of severe pain and swelling in the joints. Control of gout can be achieved by increasing urate lowering treatments such as allopurinol or febuxostat until target levels have been reached. Although such treatments are usually well tolerated they are commonly not used effectively. There are many reasons for this failure of care. Rapid escalation of urate lowering therapy can result in paradoxical flares of gout. As a result cautious dose escalation is recommended with the need for frequent blood tests and doctors appointments which can act as a barrier to receiving adequate treatment.
There are now have kits available which allow the measurement of urate by using a finger prick test. This method is similar to self test blood glucose kits, frequently used by individuals with diabetes, and will allow patients to test their own urate levels at home. In this study we are looking to develop a smart phone application for patients who have been taught to self-test their urate levels. The phone application will allow patients to enter their own urate levels and will allow the study team to make recommendations for appropriate treatment changes without the need for a doctor's appointment.
This study aims to establish if such an approach is achievable and whether patients offered supported self-management of gout achieve better control of their gout than patients assigned to usual GP care.REC name
South East Scotland REC 01
REC reference
18/SS/0031
Date of REC Opinion
27 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion