ACR Testing At Home: the Minuteful Kidney Service

GP Practices in the network are introducing a new service which allows people to carry out a urine test at home with a smartphone and a simple urine test kit, which will be sent to their home address.  The test results go straight on their medical records via the mobile App, saving them and their GP time.  

How does the service work?

Patients who meet the criteria will receive an invitation via SMS text from their GP Practice, offering them the new service, which is called Minuteful Kidney.  They will be able to opt in or out of the Minuteful Kidney service by responding to the text message.   

NHS Dorset’s partner, Healthy.io, provides the Minuteful Kidney service. Patients accepting the invitation will be sent a Minuteful test kit in the post.  Once registered, the person downloads the Minuteful Kidney App from the Apple store (for iPhones) or Google Play (android phones).  Anyone unsure about how to do this can contact their Practice to ask for help from a local Digital Champion.  

The service allows people who wish to do so to complete essential screening tests without needing to come into the Practice.  For anyone who does not wish to use the new service, your GP will continue to manage your care within the Practice.  

Patients self test using the kit and the Minuteful Kidney app, which guides them through the process.  Test results are seamlessly imported to the patient record in SystmOne via a secure NHS messaging protocol.

How Easy is it to use the Minuteful Kidney kit and App?

Minuteful Kidney patient survey results, which patients complete at the end of the test within the smartphone application, have shown an overall 92% for ease of use.  

Healthy.io also provides contact details for their dedicated patient support team on 020 7183 7939, who are there to help patients every step of the way if needed.  The team is available from 08:00 - 20:00 Monday to Friday and 11:00 to 15:00 on Saturdays, excluding bank holidays. Patients may also email support@minuteful-kidney.com. 

Why has NHS Dorset commissioned the Minuteful Kidney ACR Testing service?

The Minuteful Kidney service has been commissioned locally to improve the uptake of recommended urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) testing for people living with diabetes and/or patients living with hypertension.  It also reduces GP practice workload by shifting testing from the clinic to the home. 

To learn more about Minuteful Kidney:

• Watch the video to find out more from Siobhan Maccanti, Practice Nurse for Mid Dorset & Digital Nursing Fellow for the ACR smartphone- powered service - Home urinary self-test for CKD

• Download and view the Minuteful Kidney Patient Leaflet here>> 

• Follow watch a video which demonstrates how to us the Minuteful Kidney app>>

For more on ACR self testing and other digital healthcare tools and technologies being introduced to support Dorset resgistens, NHS staff and fronline teams, visit the Our Dorset Digital website by following this link>>

Information for Practices working with Healthy.io to improved screen for kidney disease for people living with diabetes and/or high blood pressure.