The FebriDx point-of-care test for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) may be useful in guiding antibiotic use in primary care and supporting shared decision-making between physician and patient.
Methodology
- Researchers conducted a qualitative interview study, nested within a study on point-of-care testing, with healthcare professionals and general practice patients, combined with a literature review in December 2021. Remote semi-structured interviews were carried out from February to July 2023.
- The primary objective was to explore the ease of use and feasibility of FebriDx to reduce antibiotic prescriptions for LRTI in primary care.
- Patients with LRTI were recruited from nine general practices in the south of England, allowing for the inclusion of 162 participants.
- The FebriDx test consists of a finger prick blood test; the results are displayed as three lines on a sidebar.
What you must remember
- A total of 22 patients from six different practices were surveyed as part of the point-of-care testing study; 12 out of 162 patients were patients (nine adults and three parents of children) and 10 out of 31 patients were healthcare professionals.
- The average length of the interview was 42 minutes. The average age of adults was 67 years, that of children 5 years and that of health professionals 46 years.
- Overall, some patients and healthcare professionals reported practical difficulties in obtaining adequate blood samples or transferring blood to the test strip. There were some difficulties interpreting the test results.
- Although patients found the test convenient and easy to perform, most healthcare professionals felt it could be easily introduced into the patient pathway and staff workflow. Concerns have been expressed about the impact on consultation time.
- There appears to be a disconnect between healthcare professionals’ and patients’ perceptions regarding the reporting of negative results, highlighting the need for training of healthcare professionals.
In practice
“ FebriDx may be a useful tool to guide antibiotic prescribing for LRTI in primary care and to combat growing antimicrobial resistance », Write the authors. They add : ” Training and practice in using the test and reporting results (especially negative results) are likely to be essential elements to ensure successful adaptation. »
Source
The study was led by Jill Rutter, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southampton, Southampton, UK, and published online in the British Journal of General Practice Open.
Limitations
Limitations of the study include the low representation of ethnic minorities, the absence of participants from lower socio-economic backgrounds, a single evaluator and a predominantly female representation of healthcare professionals.
Disclosures
The study was funded, among others, by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust. Tristan W. Clark reported receiving equipment, speaking fees, honoraria, and travel reimbursements from numerous pharmaceutical companies. All other authors make no declaration of financial interest.
This article was translated from Medscape.co.uk using multiple editorial tools, including AI, in the process. The content was reviewed by the editorial staff before publication.
