Patient experience and accuracy of finger prick blood testing
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Patient experience and accuracy of finger prick blood testing kits
IRAS ID
310182
Contact name
Darren Green
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN11333327
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Up to 60% of the adult population live with a chronic condition and 40% have more than one. Many, if not most, require blood tests at intervals to track illness progression or to monitor for side effects of prescribed drugs.
Alongside this, the wider use of remote clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a change in strategy whereby many patients now monitor their health status at home through home recording of blood pressure, oxygen saturations, weight, and exercise tolerance. There is also now the potential for this to be supplemented by home monitoring of blood tests.
These tests are easy to undertake. Microsampling is similar to diabetic patients who check their own sugar levels.
The primary aim of the study is to show that blood tests used in routine monitoring can be undertaken with a high level of accuracy and satisfaction by patients using microsampling test kits.
Patients will be recruited to this evaluation from Salford Royal Hospital and Wythenshawe Hospital. Patients will be recruited from in-patient wards and out-patient clinics. They will have their usual venous bloods taken and alongside this will be asked to take bloods themselves using one of three different microsampling kits. We will determine the accuracy of these kits compared to the venous bloods and compare patient satisfaction with each of the kits using a feedback questionnaire. Clinical care pathways will not be changed.
The biochemistry laboratory involved has a significant experience of providing these services and the use of microsampling is shown to be accurate for the assays being used.
We aim to recruit approximately 300 patients (maximum 400) to the project, ensuring adequate representation in all clinical group described above and that all vulnerable patient sub-groups are adequately represented.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/LO/0379
Date of REC Opinion
31 May 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion