Acute Kidney InjuryCONNECT-AKINCT07626268
COordiNated CommuNication, Education, and Care Transitions After Acute Kidney Injury (CONNECT-AKI)
A study testing AKI Discharge Summary Template and Chat-Based Educational Messaging Program in people with Acute Kidney Injury and Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), run by Northwell Health at 2 sites in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether different ways of providing information and follow-up support after acute kidney injury, also called AKI, can improve care transitions for adults being discharged from the hospital. AKI is a sudden decrease in kidney function that can occur during a hospital stay. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Acute Kidney Injury, Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)
- What is being tested?
- AKI Discharge Summary Template and Chat-Based Educational Messaging Program
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 160 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesUnited States
- Study dates
- 24 Jun 2026to 30 Oct 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Age 18 years or older
- Hospitalized with Stage 2 or Stage 3 acute kidney injury
- Kidney function has not returned to baseline at the time of hospital discharge
- Able to communicate in English
- Able to provide informed consent
- Willing and able to participate in study procedures independently or with assistance from a patient-designated care partner
Who cannot join
- Acute kidney injury requiring ongoing dialysis at the time of hospital discharge
- End-stage kidney disease
- Kidney transplant recipient
- Currently pregnant
- Documented cognitive impairment that precludes informed consent
- Receiving hospice or comfort-focused end-of-life care
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Farwa Batool, MPH contact
United States2 sites, 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
Long Island Jewish Medical Center
Glen Oaks, New York, 11040
Jia Ng, MD, MSCE, 516-465-8200, jng10@northwell.edu
- Recruiting
North Shore University Hospital
Manhasset, New York, 11030
Jia Ng, MD, MSCE, 516-465-8200, jng10@northwell.edu
About this study
Official title: CONNECT-AKI: COordiNated CommuNication, Education, and Care Transitions After Acute Kidney Injury - A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether different ways of providing information and follow-up support after acute kidney injury, also called AKI, can improve care transitions for adults being discharged from the hospital. AKI is a sudden decrease in kidney function that can occur during a hospital stay.
The main questions this study aims to answer are:
Read more
- Does an AKI discharge summary template improve communication about AKI after hospital discharge?
- Does a chat-based educational messaging program improve patient understanding of AKI and support follow-up care after hospital discharge?
- Researchers will compare usual care, an AKI discharge summary template, a chat-based educational messaging program, and the combination of the discharge summary template plus chat-based messaging.
Researchers will compare four groups:
- Usual care
- An AKI discharge summary template
- A chat-based educational messaging program
- Both the AKI discharge summary template and the chat-based educational messaging program
Participants will complete questionnaires at the start of the study and about 4 weeks after hospital discharge. Participants will also receive a brief phone call about 3 months after discharge, and the research team will review their medical record for information about follow-up care, lab testing, emergency department visits, and hospital readmissions.
Read the detailed description
Acute kidney injury, also called AKI, is a common complication during hospitalization and is associated with increased risk of poor outcomes after discharge, including incomplete kidney recovery, medication-related safety concerns, emergency department visits, and hospital readmissions. Despite these risks, information about AKI and recommended follow-up care may not always be communicated clearly to patients or outpatient clinicians during the transition from hospital to home.
This pilot randomized clinical trial will evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effects of two care transition strategies for adults hospitalized with AKI. The strategies include an AKI discharge summary template designed to improve communication with outpatient clinicians, and a chat-based educational messaging program designed to provide patients with AKI-related information after discharge.
Participants will be assigned to one of four study groups: usual care, the AKI discharge summary template, the chat-based educational messaging program, or both the discharge summary template and chat-based messaging. The study will assess whether these strategies are feasible to deliver and acceptable to participants, and whether they improve patient knowledge, perceived preparedness, communication about AKI, and completion of recommended follow-up care after hospital discharge.
Participants will complete study questionnaires and allow the research team to review their medical records for information related to kidney function monitoring, follow-up care, emergency department visits, and hospital readmissions. The results of this pilot study will help inform the design of a larger future trial to improve care transitions for patients recovering from AKI.
- Conditions
- Acute Kidney Injury, Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)
- Being tested
- AKI Discharge Summary Template, Chat-Based Educational Messaging Program
- Keywords
- Acute kidney injury, AKI, Hospital discharge, Care transitions, Post-discharge care, Patient education, Discharge communication, Discharge summary, Hospital readmission, Chat-based education, Digital health
- Medical subject headings
- Acute Kidney Injury
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
AKI Discharge Summary TemplateBehavioural
The AKI discharge summary template provides structured AKI-related information for the hospital discharge summary, including information about the AKI episode and recommended follow-up care. The template is intended to improve communication during the transition from hospital to outpatient care.
Chat-Based Educational Messaging ProgramBehavioural
The chat-based educational messaging program provides AKI-related educational messages after hospital discharge. Messages are delivered through a secure web-based chat-style interface and are designed to support patient understanding of AKI, post-discharge follow-up, and kidney-related care after hospitalization.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Usual Care | No intervention | Participants assigned to this group will receive usual hospital discharge care. No additional study discharge summary template or chat-based educational messaging program will be provided as part of the intervention. |
| AKI Discharge Summary Template | Experimental | Participants in this group will receive usual hospital discharge care plus use of an AKI discharge summary template. The template is designed to support communication of AKI-related information and recommended follow-up care during the transition from hospital to outpatient care. Receives: Behavioral: AKI Discharge Summary Template |
| Chat-Based Educational Messaging Program | Experimental | Participants in this group will receive usual hospital discharge care plus access to a chat-based educational messaging program after hospital discharge. The program provides plain-language AKI education and follow-up support through a secure web-based chat-style interface. Receives: Behavioral: Chat-Based Educational Messaging Program |
| AKI Discharge Summary Template + Chat-Based Educational Messaging Program | Experimental | Participants in this group will receive usual hospital discharge care plus both study interventions: use of the AKI discharge summary template and access to the chat-based educational messaging program after hospital discharge. Receives: Behavioral: AKI Discharge Summary Template; Behavioral: Chat-Based Educational Messaging Program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Feasibility: Eligible patient enrollment
Percentage of eligible patients enrolled among those approached.
Measured: Enrollment period
Feasibility: Participant retention
Percentage of enrolled participants who complete the follow-up assessment.
Measured: Baseline to 3 months after discharge
Feasibility: Successful delivery of assigned intervention components
Percentage of participants assigned to an intervention arm who receive the assigned intervention component or components as intended, including the AKI discharge summary template and/or chat-based educational messaging program.
Measured: Hospital discharge through 4 weeks after discharge
Secondary outcomes (6)
AKI Knowledge Score
Participant AKI knowledge score measured using a study questionnaire. AKI knowledge is assessed using a 32-item questionnaire. Each item is scored as correct (1) or incorrect (0), yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 32. Higher scores indicate greater knowledge of acute kidney injury.
Measured: 4 weeks after hospital discharge
Patient experience during care transitions
Patient-reported care transition experience measured using a validated transition-of-care instrument, such as the Care Transitions Measure-15.
The Care Transitions Measure-15 (CTM-15) is a 15-item questionnaire assessing patient-reported quality of care transitions. Items are rated from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). The mean item score is transformed to a scale ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better quality of care transitions.
Measured: 4 weeks after hospital discharge
Self-management behaviors related to kidney health
Participant-reported self-management behaviors related to kidney health after hospital discharge, assessed using a study questionnaire.
Kidney-related self-management behaviors and confidence are assessed using three study-developed items addressing: 1) fluid-intake monitoring as recommended; 2) avoidance of potentially kidney-harming medications unless approved by a healthcare provider; and 3) confidence recognizing symptoms requiring medical attention. Response options are "Yes," "No," and "I did not receive instructions."
For each item, the percentage selecting each response will be calculated among participants who answered that item. Items are reported separately; no total score is calculated.
Measured: 4 weeks after hospital discharge
Adherence to outpatient follow-up appointments
Percentage of participants who complete follow-up with a primary care provider or specialist after hospital discharge, assessed by participant report and/or medical record review.
Measured: 4 weeks after hospital discharge, and 3 months after hospital discharge
Patient-reported discussion of AKI with outpatient provider
Percentage of participants who report discussing AKI or kidney-related follow-up needs with an outpatient provider after hospital discharge.
Measured: 4 weeks after hospital discharge
Self-management behaviors related to kidney health
Participant-reported self-management behaviors related to kidney health after hospital discharge, assessed using a study questionnaire.
Measured: 4 weeks after hospital discharge
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted4 Jun 2026
- Study start24 Jun 2026
- Primary completion31 Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Oct 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (25)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Acute Kidney InjuryStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 160 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Northwell Health
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Jia Hwei Ng, MD, MSCE, Principal investigator, Northwell Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07626268
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 26-0133
- Other IDs
- K23DK132459
- Acronym
- CONNECT-AKI
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 29 May 2026
- Last updated
- 20 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be shared at this time because this is a pilot feasibility study, and the dataset is expected to be small and potentially identifiable due to the clinical context, recruitment sites, hospitalization timing, and post-discharge care details. Aggregate study results may be shared through presentations and publications. The IPD sharing plan may be updated in the future if appropriate approvals, de-identification procedures, and data use agreements are established.
Publications
Wright JA, Wallston KA, Elasy TA, Ikizler TA, Cavanaugh KL. Development and results of a kidney disease knowledge survey given to patients with CKD. Am J Kidney Dis. 2011 Mar;57(3):387-95. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2010.09.018. Epub 2010 Dec 18.
PubMed 21168943Coleman EA, Mahoney E, Parry C. Assessing the quality of preparation for posthospital care from the patient's perspective: the care transitions measure. Med Care. 2005 Mar;43(3):246-55. doi: 10.1097/00005650-200503000-00007.
PubMed 15725981Piette JD, Striplin D, Marinec N, Chen J, Trivedi RB, Aron DC, Fisher L, Aikens JE. A Mobile Health Intervention Supporting Heart Failure Patients and Their Informal Caregivers: A Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2015 Jun 10;17(6):e142. doi: 10.2196/jmir.4550.
PubMed 26063161Li WY, Chiu FC, Zeng JK, Li YW, Huang SH, Yeh HC, Cheng BW, Yang FJ. Mobile Health App With Social Media to Support Self-Management for Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: Prospective Randomized Controlled Study. J Med Internet Res. 2020 Dec 15;22(12):e19452. doi: 10.2196/19452.
PubMed 33320101Hall AK, Cole-Lewis H, Bernhardt JM. Mobile text messaging for health: a systematic review of reviews. Annu Rev Public Health. 2015 Mar 18;36:393-415. doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031914-122855.
PubMed 25785892Lopez-Vargas PA, Tong A, Howell M, Craig JC. Educational Interventions for Patients With CKD: A Systematic Review. Am J Kidney Dis. 2016 Sep;68(3):353-70. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2016.01.022. Epub 2016 Mar 26.
PubMed 27020884Robelia PM, Kashiwagi DT, Jenkins SM, Newman JS, Sorita A. Information Transfer and the Hospital Discharge Summary: National Primary Care Provider Perspectives of Challenges and Opportunities. J Am Board Fam Med. 2017 Nov-Dec;30(6):758-765. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2017.06.170194.
PubMed 29180550Howard SJ, Elvey R, Ohrnberger J, Turner AJ, Anselmi L, Martindale AM, Blakeman T. Post-discharge care following acute kidney injury: quality improvement in primary care. BMJ Open Qual. 2020 Dec;9(4):e000891. doi: 10.1136/bmjoq-2019-000891.
PubMed 33328317Chadwick W, Bassett H, Hendrickson S, Slonaker K, Perales S, Pantaleoni J, Srinivas N, Platchek T, Destino L. An Improvement Effort to Optimize Electronically Generated Hospital Discharge Instructions. Hosp Pediatr. 2019 Jul;9(7):523-529. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2018-0251.
PubMed 31243058Newnham H, Barker A, Ritchie E, Hitchcock K, Gibbs H, Holton S. Discharge communication practices and healthcare provider and patient preferences, satisfaction and comprehension: A systematic review. Int J Qual Health Care. 2017 Oct 1;29(6):752-768. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/mzx121.
PubMed 29025093Nye C, Lake S. Acute kidney injury; improving the communication from secondary to primary care. BMJ Qual Improv Rep. 2017 Jun 23;6(1):u211147.w6661. doi: 10.1136/bmjquality.u211147.w6661. eCollection 2017.
PubMed 28674612Silver SA, Goldstein SL, Harel Z, Harvey A, Rompies EJ, Adhikari NK, Acedillo R, Jain AK, Richardson R, Chan CT, Chertow GM, Bell CM, Wald R. Ambulatory care after acute kidney injury: an opportunity to improve patient outcomes. Can J Kidney Health Dis. 2015 Oct 6;2:36. doi: 10.1186/s40697-015-0071-8. eCollection 2015.
PubMed 26445676Silver SA, Saragosa M, Adhikari NK, Bell CM, Harel Z, Harvey A, Kitchlu A, Neyra JA, Wald R, Jeffs L. What insights do patients and caregivers have on acute kidney injury and posthospitalisation care? A single-centre qualitative study from Toronto, Canada. BMJ Open. 2018 Jun 15;8(6):e021418. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-021418.
PubMed 29909373Siew ED, Parr SK, Wild MG, Levea SL, Mehta KG, Umeukeje EM, Silver SA, Ikizler TA, Cavanaugh KL. Kidney Disease Awareness and Knowledge among Survivors ofAcute Kidney Injury. Am J Nephrol. 2019;49(6):449-459. doi: 10.1159/000499862. Epub 2019 Apr 17.
PubMed 30995659Greer RC, Liu Y, Crews DC, Jaar BG, Rabb H, Boulware LE. Hospital discharge communications during care transitions for patients with acute kidney injury: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2016 Aug 30;16(1):449. doi: 10.1186/s12913-016-1697-7.
PubMed 27577888