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Digital Dyadic Empowerment Program on Lifestyle Modification for Chronic Kidney Disease Management

Digital Dyadic Empowerment Program (DDEP) on Lifestyle Modification for Chronic Kidney Disease Management: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06756113
Acronym
DDEP
Enrollment
208
Registered
2025-01-01
Start date
2025-01-13
Completion date
2025-10-15
Last updated
2026-02-12

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Chronic Kidney Diseases

Keywords

digital health, dyadic empowerment, healthy lifestyle

Brief summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if the Digital Dyadic Empowerment Program (DDEP) can help people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and their care partners make healthy lifestyle changes. The main questions this study will answer are: * Does DDEP help protect kidney function? * Does DDEP support healthier daily habits? Researchers will compare two groups: * One group will receive the DDEP and get usual medical care. * The other group will get usual medical care only. Participants will: * Receive usual care with or without DDEP for six months. * Visit the clinic at the start and end of the study for health checks and tests. * Practice healthy habits at home with or without help from DDEP. This study aims to show if adding DDEP to regular care can make it easier for people with CKD and their care partners to live healthier lives.

Detailed description

This randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to evaluate the long-term effects of the Digital Dyadic Empowerment Program (DDEP) in comparison to routine care for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and their significant others. The study will assess whether the DDEP can improve health outcomes such as kidney function, health-promoting lifestyle behaviors, and the quality of relationships between significant others over a six-month period. The trial will follow the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) 2010 and CONSORT-EHEALTH guidelines to ensure rigorous reporting and transparency. Baseline assessments will occur in a private clinic room and will include demographic information, disease-related characteristics, and self-reported measures. Participants in both groups will also complete the Trans-Theoretical Model (TTM) staging inventory to evaluate their readiness for lifestyle changes. Dyads assigned to the intervention group will receive DDEP setup instructions and training on platform use during the baseline visit. Throughout the study, dyads will be encouraged to utilize the platform for self-management tasks at home, including diet tracking, exercise planning, and monitoring blood pressure.

Interventions

The Digital Dyadic Empowerment Intervention utilizes LINE, a prominent instant messaging App in Taiwan, integrated with an extended application to deliver comprehensive lifestyle modification support to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) dyads. Key features of this intervention include: 1. Access to CKD Health Education Information; 2. Supportive Information for Significant Others; 3. Physiological Values Logging for Self-Monitoring; 4. Reminders for Clinical Appointments and Daily Self-Management Tasks; 5. Kidney Health Diary for Lifestyle Modification Progress Tracking; 6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Consultation with Healthcare Providers. This intervention aims to enhance the overall well-being of CKD dyads by promoting education, self-monitoring, adherence to appointments, and efficient communication with healthcare providers.

BEHAVIORALUsual Care

All patients in this study received regular nephrology care at National Cheng Kung University Hospital. Nephrologists conducted routine examinations and provided diagnoses based on test results. The patient's condition (e.g., changes in kidney function), treatment plan, prognosis, and risks were explained to both the patient and family members. The treatment plan included medication, monitoring blood pressure, dietary and exercise at home, and consultations with the Health Education Center for kidney care or nutrition advice.

Sponsors

National Cheng Kung University
Lead SponsorOTHER
National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
20 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. The patient has a diagnosis of Chronic Kidney Disease for at least six months; 2. The patient can identify a helpful significant other, and both parties are willing to participate; 3. The patient can communicate in Mandarin or Taiwanese.

Exclusion criteria

1. The significant other is a healthcare provider; 2. The patient or the significant other has a mental illness diagnosis; 3. The patient is currently receiving renal replacement therapies; 4. Neither the patient nor the significant other uses a smartphone or the LINE messaging app.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change From Baseline in eGFR at 6 Months (Patient-specific)Before initial intervention and 6 months after initial interventionFor each patient, change from Baseline (Followup score - Baseline score) in the estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) by the Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry - Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (IDMS-MDRD) Equation at 6 months was obtained through the patient's biochemical test reports. Higher eGFR numbers generally indicate better kidney functions.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change From Baseline in CKD Stage at 6 Months (Patient-specific)Before initial intervention and 6 months after initial interventionFor each patient, change from Baseline in CKD stage at 6 months was obtained by comparing the CKD stage at baseline and at follow-up, converted into the following three categories: (1) recover (e.g., from Stage 3a \[at baseline\] to Stage 2 \[at follow-up\]); (2) stable (e.g., remaining Stage 3a at both baseline and follow-up); and (3) progress (e.g., from Stage 3a \[at baseline\] to Stage 3b \[at follow-up\]).
Change From Baseline in TTM Stage at 6 Months (Patient-specific)Before initial intervention and 6 months after initial interventionFor each patient, change from Baseline in TTM stage at 6 months was obtained by comparing the TTM stage of change at baseline and at follow-up, converted into the following three categories: (1) regress (e.g., from Preparation \[at baseline\] to Contemplation \[at follow-up\]); (2) maintain (e.g., remaining Action at both baseline and follow-up); and (3) advance (e.g., from Action \[at baseline\] to Maintenance \[at follow-up\]).
Change From Baseline in Health Promoting Lifestyle at 6 Months (Patient-specific)Before initial intervention and 6 months after initial interventionFor each patient, change from Baseline (Followup score - Baseline score) in patient's Health Promoting Lifestyle at 6 months was assessed using the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II Chinese version Revised (HPLP-IICR), a validated scale with 30 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale. The total scores range from 30 to 120, with higher scores indicate better health-promoting lifestyle.
Change From Baseline in Dyadic Adjustment at 6 MonthsBefore initial intervention and 6 months after initial interventionFor each participant, change from Baseline (Followup score - Baseline score) in Dyadic Adjustment at 6 months was assessed using the 7-item Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS-7). The first six items are rated on a 6-point scale, while the seventh item is rated on a 7-point scale. The total scores range from 0 to 36, with higher scores indicating better relationship quality.

Countries

Taiwan

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMiaofen Yen, PhD

National Cheng Kung University

Participant flow

Pre-assignment details

The "Enrollment" number (i.e., 208) in the Study Design Section reflects the total number of \*participants\* enrolled. After enrollment, 52 dyads (i.e., 52 patients and their 52 significant others) were randomly allocated to each group.

Baseline characteristics

Characteristic
Age, Continuous
Patient
68.02 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 13.92
Age, Continuous
Significant other
58.49 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.62
CKD Stage
Stage 1
10 Participants
CKD Stage
Stage 2
8 Participants
CKD Stage
Stage 3a
14 Participants
CKD Stage
Stage 3b
10 Participants
CKD Stage
Stage 4
8 Participants
CKD Stage
Stage 5
7 Participants
Dyadic Adjustment
Patient
25.71 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.3
Dyadic Adjustment
Significant other
23.83 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 7.46
eGFR48.82 mL/min/1.73m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 25.35
Health Promoting Lifestyle85.90 units on a scale
STANDARD_DEVIATION 16
Race and Ethnicity Not Collected0 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Patient
Female
51 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Patient
Male
27 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Significant other
Female
31 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Significant other
Male
16 Participants
TTM Stage
Action
7 Participants
TTM Stage
Contemplation
2 Participants
TTM Stage
Maintenance
35 Participants
TTM Stage
Precontemplation
2 Participants
TTM Stage
Preparation
7 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 1040 / 104
other
Total, other adverse events
5 / 1041 / 104
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 1040 / 104

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 14, 2026