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Contact Information:

Prof David Webb
david.webb@uhl-tr.nhs.uk


Dr Ehtasham Ahmad
Ehtasham.ahmad@uhl-tr.nhs.uk


Ms Molly Waldron
molly.waldron1@nhs.net


Dr Pankaj Gupta
pankaj.gupta@uhl-tr.nhs.uk


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Be Part of Research - Trial Details - POET: Use of point of care testing for monitoring and management of long-term conditions
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POET: Use of point of care testing for monitoring and management of long-term conditions

Not Recruiting

Open to: All Genders

Age: Mixed

Leicester Leicester

Medical Conditions

Diabetes

This information is provided directly by researchers, and we recognise that it isn't always easy to understand. We are working with researchers to improve the accessibility of this information. In some summaries, you may come across links to external websites. These websites will have more information to help you better understand the study.


Currently there is more focus in increasing the use of technology in healthcare. This can be in ways such as virtual consultations, electronic health recording and the use of remote monitoring tools to manage those with long term conditions like diabetes, or cardiovascular disease. Through the use of technology in healthcare settings, we can improve patient experiences and free-up clinic time.

This is also highlighted during the current COVID-19 pandemic where healthcare services have undergone important transformations including virtual consultations when face-to-face consultants were not always possible. Since the start of the pandemic, 75% of diabetes consultations within University Hospitals of Leicester NHS trust have been taking place virtually.

For people with diabetes, collecting and measuring blood samples including HbA1c measurement remain an important part of routine health care and monitoring. This allows health care providers to make important decisions on diagnosis of diabetes and provides a good way to monitor diabetes control. Sample collection is usually measured during a visit to the hospital or a health care setting. However, the collection of blood samples remains a barrier for successful remote working as this requires face-to-face contact.

In this study we are investigating if the remote Point Of Care Testing (POCT) (which uses blood samples collected via finger prick methods at home) can be used to monitor diabetes control and measure other routine blood samples without having to visit the hospital. This will allow Health Care Providers (HCPs) to make decisions and take action in a timely manner during the virtual consultations.

The overall aim of this study is to see if POCT is accurate compared to normal collection of blood samples using a vein and understanding patient experiences and thoughts around remote blood collection.

Start dates may differ between countries and research sites. The research team are responsible for keeping the information up-to-date.  

The recruitment start and end dates are as follows:

06 Nov 2024 24 Apr 2026

Routine blood tests involve a visit to the hospital or GP surgery for the bloods to be taken from a vein by a trained member of the health care staff. This procedure can be painful and consumes a lot of time travelling and having to wait for the staff to take bloods.

We want to do a study to test if the bloods taken by finger prick method at home are as accurate as the bloods taken from a vein which will save time for the patient, avoid hospital or GP visits and will be less painful.

The study has two parts : In the first phase or validation phase, we will approach patients visiting the hospital or GP surgery for their routine blood tests and check with them to see if they are happy to have a few drops of blood collected via finger prick method at the same time as they are having bloods drawn for their routine checks from a vein. This may mean also collecting some additional bloods that are not part of their routine care for which they were visiting the hospital or GP surgery but need to be collected as part of this study.
After collection, we will then send these samples to the lab for testing to see if these bloods collected via finger prick method are as accurate as taking bloods from a vein. We are looking to recruit 420 participants for this first phase.
If found accurate, we will then move to the second phase of the study also called the feasibility phase. During this second phase, we will invite 100 participants who took part in the first phase of the study. These participants will be sent self-testing packs with instructions to collect a few drops of blood at home and post back to the lab for testing using a return envelope already provided in the pack. This is to find out how convenient it is for people to finger prick and collect samples themselves at home and send back to the lab and to check if the samples collected at home are still accurate compared to blood samples taken through the vein in the first phase of the study.
We will also interview 20 participants who took part in both phases of the study to find out their experience of the whole process of having bloods collected via finger prick method instead of having samples collected from a vein, their confidence in the results and if they would be happy to have routine bloods taken via this method in the future.


People aged 18 years or older, with long-term conditions (LTC) or healthy individuals attending UHL or primary care centres for routine blood sample or assessments

You can take part if:



You may not be able to take part if:


1. Pregnant women with gestational diabetes or established diabetes2. Those on dialysis or end stage renal disease (eGFR< 15ml/min/m2)3. Liver cirrhosis4. Diagnosed cancer5. Haematological malignancies6. Needle phobia7. Clotting disorders and bleeding tendencies (platelet count < 100 x 109/L)8. Conditions in which HbA1c measurement is not reliable9.1. Hemoglobinopathies like sickle cell and thalassemia9.2. Severe hypertriglyceridemia (> = 20mmol/l)9.3. Splenectomy9.4. Chronic alcohol intake of more than 14 units per week9.5. Blood transfusion within past 12 weeks9.6. Recent blood loss (< = 4 weeks)9.7. Ribavirin and interferon-alpha use9.8. Iron, B12 and folate deficiency anaemias


Below are the locations for where you can take part in the trial. Please note that not all sites may be open.

  • University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
    Leicester Royal Infirmary Infirmary Square
    Leicester
    LE1 5WW
  • NIHR CRN: East Midlands
    Knighton Street Outpatients 1st Floor Leicester Royal Infirmary
    Leicester
    LE1 5WW

If found successful, we anticipate that this will save time for both patients and the NHS staff, will be less painful compared to bloods taken from the vein, will avoid extra visits to the hospital and GP surgeries and will save money for the NHS. We do not expect any serious harm to the participants except for mild pain from a finger prick.

Ms Molly Waldron
molly.waldron1@nhs.net


Prof David Webb
david.webb@uhl-tr.nhs.uk


Dr Ehtasham Ahmad
Ehtasham.ahmad@uhl-tr.nhs.uk


Dr Pankaj Gupta
pankaj.gupta@uhl-tr.nhs.uk



The study is sponsored by University of Leicester and funded by NIHR Central Commissioning Facility (CCF).




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Read full details for Trial ID: ISRCTN13913027

Or CPMS: 61804

Last updated 07 April 2026

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