Feasibility and clinical impact of rapid respiratory virus testing in a real-world setting

ISRCTN ISRCTN10110119
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN10110119
Submission date
29/11/2021
Registration date
01/12/2021
Last edited
18/11/2022
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Infections and Infestations
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Influenza (the flu) and other viruses that have similar symptoms make many people sick every year. Some people get sick enough that they need to go to hospital. There are different treatments for influenza or other illnesses that have the same symptoms. Testing for influenza and other viruses tell the doctor how to treat them. Without these results, doctors must make decisions without knowing the cause of the illness. Newer quicker and easier to use tests (rapid NAT) can help doctors make their decisions faster, but they cost more. We must prove that these tests improve doctors' decisions. Studies have shown that rapid NAT may help doctors order the right medications and decrease the time someone needs to be in hospital. These other studies have mostly been done in an "artificial" study setting and may not be true in the real world. This study aims to see if these tests will improve patient care when ordered and tested by the people who would in the real world.

Who can participate?
Patients seen at one of the two study hospitals by a doctor who orders a respiratory virus test for their care

What does the study involve?
Samples taken for testing will be collected as per normal. The laboratory decides who gets the rapid test or just the standard test.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Results from tests for respiratory viruses (e.g. influenza) may be quicker than normal. The test results may guide the doctor to more appropriate and precise care. There is minimal risk to participants.

Where is the study run from?
Alberta Precision Laboratories (Canada)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2019 to June 2020

Who is funding the study?
Alberta Precision Laboratories (Canada)

Who is the main contact?
Dr Byron Berenger
byron.berenger@ucalgary.ca

Contact information

Dr Byron Berenger
Public

3535 Research Road NW
Calgary
T2L 2K8
Canada

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0001-9062-6346
Phone +1 (0)587 779 5573
Email byron.berenger@ucalgary.ca

Study information

Study designTwo-centre parallel randomized controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised parallel trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeDiagnostic
Participant information sheet No participant information sheet available
Scientific titleA pragmatic randomized controlled trial of rapid on-site influenza and respiratory syncytial virus PCR testing in pediatric and adult populations
Study objectives1. A turnaround time (TAT) of 2 hours in 90% of cases is achievable by testing at hospital laboratories in Alberta.
2. Patients tested with a rapid test have a shorter length of hospital stay and improved utilization of other health care resources compared to a non-rapid test.
Ethics approval(s)Approved 10/12/2019, University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada; +1 (0)403 220 2297; chreb@ucalgary.ca), ref: REB19-2047
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedInfluenza and respiratory syncytial virus
InterventionPatients with a respiratory viral testing order are randomized to testing at either a central accredited laboratory with a respiratory pathogen panel nucleic acid test (standard arm) or with a rapid polymerase chain reaction test at an on-site accredited laboratory (rapid on-site test [ROST] arm) followed by standard of care testing. Randomization is done based on the day of receipt of the specimen in the hospital laboratory. Patients and clinicians are blinded to assignment.
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measure1. Turnaround time for the rapid NAT or standard of care test, as measured from the time of collection of the sample to the verification of the result. Time of collection submitted by the collector and recorded in the laboratory information system (LIS). Time of result is when reported by the laboratory in the LIS. Times will be retrieved from the LIS at the end of the study.
2. Pediatric site (site 1) - Duration of hospital stay for patients tested for respiratory viruses, defined as the time from ER admission to hospital discharge or hospital admission to hospital discharge if ER admission time is not available. Patients seen only in ER will not be included in this endpoint. This is recorded in the clinical information system (CIS) and will be retrieved from there.
3. Adult/pediatric site (site 2) – a prescription of oseltamivir recorded in the CIS during the encounter. Data will be retrieved from the CIS.
Secondary outcome measuresAll secondary outcome measures are recorded in the clinical information system as a part of routine care and will be retrieved from there at the end of the study:
1. A prescription of oseltamivir ordered during the encounter for site 1
2. Number of oseltamivir doses administered during the encounter
3. Time from the patient’s encounter start time to receipt of their first oseltamivir dose (if oseltamivir given)
4. A chest x-ray ordered*
5. Number of ancillary laboratory tests ordered*
6. A prescription of bacterial antimicrobial agents ordered*
7. Duration of emergency department stay if not admitted to hospital determined by the time of admission to discharge

*Orders for chest-x-rays, ancillary tests, antimicrobial agents (#3-6) will be included if they are ordered from the time of the respiratory virus NAT order to 24 h after the respiratory pathogen panel is resulted (standard test performed in standard arm and intervention arm after rapid onsite testing).
Overall study start date05/09/2019
Completion date16/06/2020

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAll
SexBoth
Target number of participantsSite 1: 210. Site 2: 118
Total final enrolment1090
Key inclusion criteriaAll patients with a respiratory virus nucleic acid test ordered by a physician at one of the two study hospitals
Key exclusion criteriaPatients without a respiratory virus nucleic acid test ordered by a physician at one of the two study hospitals
Date of first enrolment06/01/2020
Date of final enrolment14/03/2020

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Canada

Study participating centres

Peter Lougheed Hospital
3500 26 Ave NE
Calgary
T1Y 6J4
Canada
Alberta Children's Hospital
28 Oki Dr NW
Calgary
T3B 6A8
Canada

Sponsor information

University of Calgary
University/education

2500 University Drive NW
Calgary
T2N 1N4
Canada

Phone +1 (0)403 220 6354
Email rsoadmin@ucalgary.ca
Website https://www.ucalgary.ca
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/03yjb2x39

Funders

Funder type

Industry

Alberta Precision Laboratories

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date16/03/2022
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryAvailable on request
Publication and dissemination planPublication is planned in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Additional documents are not available.
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are/will be available upon request from Byron M. Berenger (byron.berenger@ucalgary.ca) when the study is published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Preprint results 06/06/2022 18/07/2022 No No
Results article 16/11/2022 18/11/2022 Yes No

Editorial Notes

18/11/2022: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. Publication reference added.
2. The total final enrolment was added.
18/07/2022: Preprint reference added.
30/11/2021: Trial's existence confirmed by the University of Calgary Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board.