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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2025 Apr;39(4):e70139.
doi: 10.1111/ctr.70139.

Effectiveness of a Mobile Health System on Compliance With 2-Year Living Kidney Donor Follow-Up in the United States

Alvin G Thomas  1   2 , Sarah Hussain  3 , Samantha B Klitenic  1 , Carolyn N Sidoti  1 , Madeleine M Waldram  3 , Amy Chang  3   4 , Jennifer D Motter  1 , Kelly Terlizzi  1 , Allan B Massie  1 , Mary Schofield  5 , Karol Barstow  5 , Adam Bingaman  5 , Dorry L Segev  1 , Macey L Levan  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effectiveness of a Mobile Health System on Compliance With 2-Year Living Kidney Donor Follow-Up in the United States

Alvin G Thomas et al. Clin Transplant. 2025 Apr.

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) policy requires 2 years of follow-up for living kidney donors (LKDs); however, many transplant hospitals struggle to meet this requirement. We developed and tested a mobile health (mHealth) system for LKD follow-up in a pilot randomized-controlled trial (RCT).

Methods: LKDs were randomly assigned to either the intervention (mHealth + standard of care) or control arm (standard of care). We assessed OPTN policy-defined completeness and timeliness of 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-ups. Four hundred LKDs were enrolled in the study (June 2018 to February 2021).

Results: At 6-month follow-up, a higher proportion of the intervention arm participants completed composite visits (97.5% vs. 91.5%, p = 0.01). Both arms had similar compliance rates at 1- and 2-year follow-up (92.0% vs. 89.5%, p = 0.49, and 66.5% vs. 65.0%, p = 0.83). Intervention arm participants completed 6-month follow-up 11 days earlier than their counterparts (p = 0.009).

Conclusion: mHealth technologies improved 6-month follow-up, but did not impact 1- and 2-year LKD follow-up in this single-center RCT. Other strategies, such as providing services beyond data collection, may be necessary to improve donor engagement and support LDK's long-term follow-up.

Keywords: living kidney donation; living kidney donor follow‐up; mobile health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures:

ML serves as the social media chair of the journal, Transplantation. The remaining Authors have no disclosures.

References

    1. Living Organ Donation. Health Resources & Services Administration. https://www.organdonor.gov/learn/process/living-donation#:~:text=You%20c....
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    1. Segev DL, Muzaale AD, Caffo BS, et al. Perioperative mortality and long-term survival following live kidney donation. Jama 2010;303(10):959–966. - PubMed

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