Urine tests that can be read on smartphones gives hope of preventing kidney disease in Yorkshire

The Minuteful Kidney test – created by healthtech company Healthy.io – enables home-based urine testing, which is critical for picking up early signs of chronic kidney disease, a complication of diabetes.

Health leaders said the tests could help prevent kidney disease progressing to the point patients need dialysis or a transplant.

The test uses image recognition and computer vision technology to turn the smartphone camera into a clinical-grade medical device, allowing people to complete their annual urine test at home, with hopes that it may encourage people embarrassed at handing urine samples in at doctors’ surgeries to take them at home.

Those living with diabetes are supposed to have an annual urine test to check for kidney disease, but only 50 per cent in West Yorkshire had it in 2020, figures show.

Some 110 GP practices across West Yorkshire have now rolled out the service through the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership.

Dr Waqas Tahir, Clinical Diabetes Lead for the Partnership said: “The Healthy.io testing programme has made it easier to obtain urinary results from patients – particularly from those who might find it difficult to urinate into a small pot and embarrassing to hand-in at reception.

The tests could also help avoid 148 cases of end stage renal disease and 38 deaths over the next five years according to independent modelling.

Some 11,679 at-risk patients have already tested for chronic kidney disease who hadn’t previously tested within 12 months.