Telemedicine for Outpatient Care of Kidney Transplant and CKD Patients

INTRODUCTION: Telehealth videoconferencing (TVC) may improve access in rural areas, but reported uptake and outcomes among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are limited. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, sustainability, and clinical outcomes of TVC for this patient population. METHODS: A total of 64 participants were recruited in this single-center, prospective, 2-year longitudinal, case-control study. Inclusion criteria for the telemedicine group included travel of ≥15 km to the hospital, and the control group was matched for transplant or CKD status, age, and sex. The primary outcome was feasibility (≥50% of consultations for each individual patient in the telemedicine group being conducted by TVC in year 1). Secondary outcomes were sustainability of telemedicine, change in blood pressure and creatinine, hospitalization, and travel distance. RESULTS: < 0.01). No significant differences in creatinine or blood pressure were observed between groups, including in the KTRs and CKD subgroup analysis. Patient satisfaction remained high for both groups. Compared with travel distance required if TVC was unavailable, travel distance in the TVC group decreased by 48% (16,644 km) in year 1 and by 37.0% (8177 km) in year 2. CONCLUSION: TVC was feasible and sustainable, with outcomes comparable to those of standard care. Larger studies, especially among KTRs, are needed to confirm these findings.