Smartphone-based stent tracking application for prevention of forgotten ureteral double-J stents: a prospective study

Abstract

Purpose: Retained or forgotten ureteral stents (FUS) have a potential to cause significant morbidity as well as medico-legal issues and increased cost. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and usefulness of smartphone-based Ureteral Stent Tracker (UST) application and compare the results with basic appointment card system to prevent FUS, prospectively. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 patients who underwent ureteroscopic stone treatment procedure with indwelling DJ stents were equally distributed into two groups. In group-1, patients were followed using UST application. In group-2, only appointment cards were given to the patients. Two groups were compared in terms of stent overdue times and complete lost to follow up rates. Results: Forty-four patients in group-1 and 43 patients in group-2 completed the study. Among patients, 22.7% in group-1 and 27.9% in group-2 did not return for the stent removal on the scheduled day. In group-1, these patients were identified using the UST and called for the stent removal on the same day. After 6 weeks of maximal waiting period, mean overdue times in group-1 and group-2 were 3.5 days and 20 days, respectively (p = 0.001). In group-2, 3 patients (6.9%) were lost to follow up, while in group-1, it was none (p = 0.001). Conclusions: We found that the patients who were followed by the smartphone-based UST application has less overdue times and lost to follow up cases compared to the basic appointment card system. The UST application easily follows patients with indwelling ureteral stents and can identify patients when overdue.

Are Technology-Driven Mobile Phone Applications (Apps) the New Currency for Digital Stent Registries and Patient Communication: Prospective Outcomes Using Urostentz App

“…Ziemba et al (2017) reported that 3 out of 115 patients (3%) who did not return for their scheduled stent removal could be identified only through the UST application [ 8 ]. Ulker et al [ 9 ] used UST and compared it with the appointment card registry to track patients with indwelling ureteric stents. The results showed that patients could easily be recalled through UST [ 9 ].…”

“…Ulker et al [ 9 ] used UST and compared it with the appointment card registry to track patients with indwelling ureteric stents. The results showed that patients could easily be recalled through UST [ 9 ]. Similar to these studies, in our series using the Urostentz application there was no incidence of FUS.…”

Strategy to track double-J stents placed during COVID-19 using smartphone-based stent tracker application to prevent forgotten double-J stent in a high-volume centre: a smart solution

“…Several similar studies have been conducted in the past, such as by Mohina et al, including 194 patients and by Zeimba et al, including 115 patients in 2017, using a similar application known as Ureteral Stent Tracker (UST) developed by Visible Health Inc. (Austin, TX, USA) in partnership with Boston Scientific [ 9 , 10 ]. Both studies showed promising results of only 1 and 3 patients, respectively, lost to follow-up with almost a 90% plus timely removal of stents [ 11 ]. In 2019, Volkan Ulker et al, in his study, followed up 87 patients with indwelling DJ stents.…”

Fatores de risco para perda no seguimento ambulatorial após passagem de cateter Duplo-J / Risk factors for loss in outpatient follow-up after passing a Double-J catheter

“…Alguns estudos mostram a importância de um sistema específico para registrar, orientar e contactar pacientes em que foi realizado a passagem de stents ureterais. Mais recentemente foi proposto um aplicativo de celular para auxiliar no acompanhamento dos pacientes, denominado Ureteral Stent Tracker™ (8) .…”