Effects of a Smartphone-Enabled, Physician-Supervised Treat-to-Target Model for Gout Management: A 12-Month Randomized Controlled Trial
In brief
Smartphone-supported gout care raised urate target attainment to 85% at one year
In a 280-man, single-center randomized trial, 85% receiving smartphone-supported, physician-supervised care reached the urate target, compared with 49% receiving usual care; gout flares were also less frequent. The model included remote testing, reminders, education, and weekly physician review, so the trial cannot show which element drove the gains; broader studies must test whether it works elsewhere and is cost-effective.
- Journal
- Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) (Q1)
- Published
- 4 November 2026
- Study design
- Randomized controlled trial
- Evidence level
- Level 1, High (CEBM 1b)
- Authors
- Yining Gao, Zhiwei Cao, Zijun Xu, Ruizhi Liu, Shuang Liu, Le Yan, et al.
- PMID
- 42980467
- DOI
- 10.1002/art.70387
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Family Practice (top studies of the week, 8 November 2026): Smartphone‑supervised treat‑to‑target improves gout outcomes
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether an integrated, smartphone-enabled, physician-supervised treat-to-target (T2T) care model improves serum urate (SUA) target attainment compared with usual care, and to explore its effects on gout flares and systemic metabolic parameters. METHODS: This 12-month, single-center, open-label, superiority randomized controlled trial enrolled 280 men with gout. Participants were randomized (1:1) to an integrated digitally supported care model (the "1CARE" platform combining automated behavioral reminders, tiered education, remote SUA monitoring, and weekly physician review) or Usual Care. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients achieving serum urate (SUA) <360μmol/L. Secondary outcomes included gout flares and metabolic parameters. RESULTS: At 12 months, 85.0% (119/140) of participants in the App-Led group achieved the primary therapeutic target of SUA<360μmol/L, compared with 48.6% (68/140) in the Usual Care group (risk ratio 1.75 [95% CI 1.46 to 2.10]; P < 0.0001). The App-Led Care group also showed a significantly lower annualized gout flare frequency (0.02 vs 0.10 flares/year; P < 0.01). Exploratory metabolic outcomes favored the App-Led Care group, with greater reductions in fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol (all P < 0.05), alongside higher medication adherence. Adverse event rates were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSION: An integrated, physician-supervised, digitally supported T2T care model significantly improved SUA target attainment and reduced gout flares compared with usual care over 12 months. Multi-center trials will be needed to fully evaluate the generalizability, cost-effectiveness, and optimal configuration of this approach.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.