Research Matters - an update on NERVE 

Approximately 4.7 million people in the UK live with diabetes. These people are at higher risk of foot care problems, if not treated properly this can lead to ulceration. Some of these may progress to amputation. Diabetes-related ulceration and amputation cost the NHS up to £1bn a year.

The NERVE project is a collaboration between UHD and BU that was awarded a large NIHR i4i Innovation grant.

The project team developed the NERVE app (NEuRopathy evaluation using the Vibration function of a mobile phonE) and a probe to allow for regular testing either within a clinical setting or at home by either the patients or their carers.

The next stage of the project was to conduct the clinical trial to find out if the app and probe is as accurate and reliable as the current standard of care test for detecting loss of sensation in the feet.

Within the trial participants attended a single visit where a healthcare professional tested the NERVE device and the current standard of care device. Participants were also provided with the chance to test the NERVE device for themselves.

The recruitment target was 300 participants with diabetes, 20 An update on NERVE and the research team recruited 314 participants with diabetes across RBH and Poole.

Charlotte Humphrey is one of the research nurses who worked on the study. She said: “NERVE was a great way to get out on the wards and meet patients. I really enjoyed being able to offer them the opportunity to be part of research in an easy and accessible way.”