Evaluating the Effect of a Molecular Point-of-Care Test on Acute Respiratory Infections in General Practice: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are frequent reasons for medical consultations in general practice and can lead to unnecessary recontacts. Introducing new point-of-care (POC) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic equipment may offer an attractive and efficient way of providing a more precise and exact microbial diagnosis. Successful uptake of POC PCR equipment could potentially lead to a reduction in recontacts with benefits for both staff and patients. However, introducing new diagnostic technology is a complex intervention and several contextual factors may impact the implementation.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the effect of POC PCR test availability in general practice on the subsequent (1) number of recontacts to the general practitioner (GP

SUBMITTER: Balasubramaniam K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12455145 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature