LiPOC: Lithium Point-Of-Care testing to improve adherence to monitoring guidelines and quality of maintenance therapy: a randomised feasibility trial
Overview
New research study aiming to improve monitoring for people taking lithium
We are running a new research study which will compare how lithium is monitored at the moment (blood tests), with a new ‘fingerprick’ test which gives lithium level results almost immediately.
We will recruit 80 people. Half of people will be randomly allocated to continue their lithium monitoring as usual and half will be randomly allocated to try out this new fingerprick test. We will follow people up for 6 months and compare monitoring as well as health and wellbeing between these groups.
To be included people need to be taking lithium (or about to start) and be due for their lithium to be monitored soon and then every 3 months. They also need to be adults with depression or bipolar disorders who are patients in [insert relevant Trust name(s) depending on advertising outlet].
If you are interested in participating, or you know someone who might be, please let us know. We will send, to anyone who has given their consent, more detailed information about the study. We can then discuss the study, and someone’s suitability, over the phone.
Please reply to us if you have any questions or are interested in receiving more information. Please feel free to share this message across your networks.
Are you interested in taking part in this study?
Find out more by filling out this form.
Many thanks
The LiPOC team
Planned end date
31 Mar 2027 00:00Conditions
Bipolar DisorderInclusion Criteria
Patients (primary study)
1. Aged 18 and above.
2. Able to give informed consent.
3. A clinical diagnosis of an affective disorders.
4. Taking lithium, with monitoring due every 3 months for the upcoming 6 months and be due for monitoring at the time of consent i.e., due to undergo three serum level tests during the study period (i.e. at baseline, month 3 and month 6).
Additionally, we invite clinicians to be participants (secondary study) at the endpoint of their patient's participation in the primary study (intervention arm only). The only inclusion criteria is that the clinician must have been involved in the the point-of-care intervention of their patient who was enrolled in our trial.
Exclusion Criteria
Patients (primary study):
1. A planned change in lithium treatment during the 26 week study period.
2. Clinically significant manic symptoms (Young Mania Rating Scale [YMRS] score ≥20).
For the clinicians (secondary study) there are no exclusion criteria.