Urological association honors poster from Penn State researchers

The American Urological Association awarded Best Poster at its virtual 2020 annual meeting to a project involving researchers from Penn State Health/Penn State College of Medicine.

Research team Necole M. Streeper, MD, Deborah L. Brunke-Reese, Edison Thomaz, PhD, Ashley B. West and David E. Conroy, PhD, presented the poster “Use of sipIT Intervention to Reduce Common Perceived Barriers to Increasing Fluid Intake Among Adult Patients with Kidney Stones.”

Streeper is an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery (Division of Urology) and Conroy is a professor of kinesiology and member of Penn State Cancer Institute.

This project evaluated a method to help patients drink enough fluid to prevent kidney stones. The researchers used a Fitbit fitness watch, a connected water bottle that tracks fluid drunk, and self-monitoring through a phone app.

The study team recruited 31 patients with a history of kidney stones; four patients dropped out. At the end of the intervention, patients reported that forgetting to drink and lack of thirst were less of a barrier to meeting fluid intake goals. The majority of participants perceived that the sipIT intervention helped them to achieve their fluid intake goals.

Researchers concluded:

• The sipIT intervention may be used to detect drinking behavior and provide automated lapse detection in fluid intake in the clinical setting.
• The system was acceptable to patients and there was reduction in common perceived barriers to fluid intake.
• Combining digital tools with behavioral science may help to improve adherence to fluid intake recommendations.

The project was supported through Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute‘s Bridges to Translation Pilot Grant Program.

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