Use of Short Message Service (SMS) in a Chronic Kidney Disease Screening Programme: A Feasibility Study

Community screening for chronic kidney disease has often been based on single measurements of markers of kidney damage worldwide. The evaluation of kidney dysfunction and related risk factors may be facilitated by the deployment of telehealth services such as short message service.

Cross-sectional study for screening participants for CKD and risk factors during a world kidney event at two communities in Calabar, Cross River State. Short message service (SMS) was used to remind and invite participants to attend a kidney clinic to recheck their kidney functions and subsequently adjust initial point prevalence estimates based on this outcome. Chronic Kidney disease was defined as eGFR less than 60ml/min/1.73m² and/or proteinuria.

A total of 230 consenting participants were screened with an overall mean age of 36.43 ±11.69 years. 145 (62.7%) were either obese or overweight, while 25 (10.9%), 10 (4.3%) and 1 (0.4%) had a history of hypertension, diabetes, and CKD, respectively. Various degrees of proteinuria were found in 50 (21.74%) participants. Eleven participants had low eGFR <60mL/min. The point prevalence of CKD at the first screening was 24.3% (95%CI 18.9 - 30.4). Of those with either proteinuria or low eGFR, only 12(24%) and 5(45.4%) respectively represented themselves for recheck following the text messages. The adjusted point prevalence was 20.1%.

There is a low level of response to recall for rescreening for urinary and blood markers of kidney disease using mobile phone short message service in our population. The determinants and drivers of response will need to be studied.