Mobile app plus printed booklets to help adults manage sickle cell disease
Official title: Delivering Patient-Facing Evidence-Based Guidelines Through mHealth to Adults With Sickle Cell Disease (PF-Guide)
Run by Ohio State University · NCT06919224 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether a mobile app combined with printed patient-facing sickle cell guidelines helps adults with sickle cell disease use less emergency and hospital care than printed booklets alone.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 287 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Ohio State University Academic / other |
| Locations | 4 sites (Chicago, Illinois and 3 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 13, 2026 |
| Main results expected | March 2031 |
| Study ends | March 2032 |
| Registry record updated | March 23, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06919224 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults (18+) with confirmed sickle cell disease (Hb SS, SC, or Sβ-thalassemia) who have received care at a participating SCD clinic for at least the prior 12 months and can read English.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients under 18, non-English speakers, those not receiving care at the participating clinics, or those without access to a mobile device or who cannot use the app are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a multi-center hybrid type I randomized trial comparing a patient-facing mHealth app plus printed guideline booklets versus booklets alone in adults with sickle cell disease. The primary effectiveness outcome is reduction in acute healthcare utilization (hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and day hospital visits). The trial will also measure implementation outcomes using COM-B and RE-AIM frameworks and perform a cost-effectiveness analysis. Participants are adults with documented SCD receiving care at one of three participating centers and able to read English.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could lower emergency and hospital visits and reduce healthcare costs by giving patients clear, actionable sickle cell guidance on their mobile devices.
How similar studies have gone: Prior multi-center feasibility work by the team showed promising results, including a reported 44% relative reduction in acute healthcare utilization, but larger randomized evidence is still needed.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria for adults with SCD include 1. receiving care at the SCD clinic for the prior 12 months, 2. has a diagnosis of SCD (Hgb SS, SC, Sβ-thal), 3. able to speak and understand written English, 4. older than 18 years. Inclusion criteria for the providers and staff members are (1) to be involved in participants' clinical care
Where it's running
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University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States Recruiting -
Washington University St. Louis
St Louis, Missouri, United States Recruiting -
The Ohio State University Medical Center
Columbus, Ohio, United States Recruiting -
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Robert M Cronin, MD, MS — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Robert M Cronin, MD, MS
- Email: robert.cronin@osumc.edu
- Phone: 6146889220
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.