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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2025 May 21:27:e70641.
doi: 10.2196/70641.

Effect of the Chronic Kidney Disease-Peritoneal Dialysis (CKD-PD) App on Improvement of Overhydration Treatment in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis: Randomized Controlled Trial

Sirirat Anutrakulchai  1 , Sajja Tatiyanupanwong  2 , Sarassawan Kananuraks  3 , Eakalak Lukkanalikitkul  4 , Sawinee Kongpetch  4 , Wijittra Chotmongkol  4 , Michael G Morley  5 , Wilaiphorn Thinkhamrop  6 , Bandit Thinkhamrop  7 , Chadarat Kleebchaiyaphum  2 , Krongsin Khianchanach  3 , Theenatchar Chunghom  8 , Katharine E Morley  9
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effect of the Chronic Kidney Disease-Peritoneal Dialysis (CKD-PD) App on Improvement of Overhydration Treatment in Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis: Randomized Controlled Trial

Sirirat Anutrakulchai et al. J Med Internet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Overhydration is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Early detection of overhydration is possible by monitoring hydration metrics, but the critical gap for treatment is obtaining timely and actionable data.

Objective: This study compares the detection of overhydration and clinical outcomes in patients on PD using the Chronic Kidney Disease-Peritoneal Dialysis (CKD-PD) smartphone app with standard monitoring and management.

Methods: An open-label randomized controlled trial was conducted at 3 hospitals in northeast Thailand. Enrolled participants from PD clinics were randomized into 2 equal groups: CKD-PD (App users) and usual management (No-App). Participants or their caregivers in the App group recorded hydration metrics in the CKD-PD app, which were uploaded to a central database monitored by nephrology staff. The No-App group used a handwritten logbook. Both groups had bimonthly clinic visits. The primary outcome was the incidence rate ratio (IRR) for clinical interventions for overhydration. Secondary outcomes included hospitalizations, technique failure, and death.

Results: A total of 208 participants were randomized into App (N=103) and No-App (N=105) groups with the median follow-up time of 11.2 months. Hydration metric upload compliance in the App group was 85.7% (IQR 71.4-95.6). The IRR of overall interventions for overhydration was 2.51 times higher in the App group (95% CI 2.18-2.89; P<.001). Types of clinical interventions for overhydration differed between groups with dietary change and prescription of antihypertensive drugs more frequent in App users and diuretics and change of dialysis prescription more frequent in the No-App group. Hospitalizations were significantly higher in the No-App group due to any cause (adjusted IRR 1.58) and volume overload (adjusted IRR 4.07). There was no significant difference in survival analysis and technique failure between the 2 groups.

Conclusions: Use of the CKD-PD app improved early detection of overhydration and early treatment interventions, resulting in fewer all-cause and volume overload hospitalizations.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04797195; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04797195.

Keywords: chronic kidney disease; hospitalization; mobile health; overhydration; peritoneal dialysis; smartphone app.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: BT is one of the developers of CKD-PD app. He was not involved in any study activities related to data collection and curation and statistical analysis.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scheme of the study flow. HD: hemodialysis; PD: peritoneal dialysis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Kaplan-Meier survival analysis between the App and No-App groups. HR: hazard ratio.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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