Point of Care Respiratory Pathogen Testing for Antibiotic Stewardship in Primary Care

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · Jan 2, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is looking at how using a quick, point-of-care test in primary care can help doctors treat adults with upper respiratory infection symptoms more appropriately and potentially reduce unnecessary antibiotic use. The test, BioFire Spotfire Respiratory Panel, can identify multiple viruses and bacteria in about 15 minutes and is FDA-cleared and designed for everyday clinic use. The researchers will first gather input from clinicians through surveys and focus groups, then implement the test in several primary care clinics to see how it affects antibiotic prescribing at the first visit, antiviral prescribing, testing use, follow-up care, and both patient and clinician attitudes.

Eligible participants are adults 18 and older who come to participating primary care clinics with upper respiratory infection symptoms (like cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, fever, sore throat, ear pain, or sinus pain). If you join, a nasal swab may be taken and tested on-site, and results will be shared with you and your clinician within about 15 minutes to guide care. You may be asked to complete brief surveys and could be invited to join focus groups or interviews about the test. The study is led by the University of Pennsylvania, is currently enrolling with an estimated 8,000 participants, and is expected to finish around 2028; results aren’t available yet.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Age \>=18 years
• • Symptoms of an upper respiratory infection to include: cough, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, fever, sore throat, ear pain/fullness, sinus pain
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Age \< 18 years of age
• • No relevant upper respiratory symptoms