Effect of C-reactive Protein Point-of-care Testing on Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Respiratory-tract Infections At Primary Care Facilities in Rural China
NCT Number: NCT06568432
Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Phases: NA
Conditions: Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Respiratory-tract Infections
Sponsor: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Sex: ALL
Age: CHILD, ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Enrollment: 19424
Study Design: Allocation: RANDOMIZED|Intervention Model: PARALLEL|Masking: SINGLE (OUTCOMES_ASSESSOR)|Primary Purpose: TREATMENT
Start Date: 2024-09
Completion Date: 2025-05

Summary:
Our study was a practical, cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate the impact of C-reactive protein point-of-care testing (CRP POCT) on antibiotic prescribing in patients with acute respiratory-tract infections (ARI) aged 1 to 75 years at primary care facilities in rural China.

Primary Outcome Measures: Antibiotic prescription rates for all ARI patients in the intervention and control groups, Antibiotic prescription rates for all ARI patients in the intervention and control groups between the start of intervention and 6 months of follow-up, between the start of intervention and 6 months of follow-up
Secondary Outcome Measures: Proportion of newly diagnosed ARI patients prescribed antibiotics stratified by age, sex, symptoms , type of infection, and season., Proportion of newly diagnosed ARI patients prescribed antibiotics stratified by age (1-15 years \\16-65 years \\65-75 years), sex, symptoms (fever or not), type of infection (upper/lower sensation), and season., between the start of intervention and 6 months of follow-up|Rate of multiple antibiotic prescriptions in intervention and control groups, Proportion of ARI prescriptions containing two or more antibiotics, between the start of intervention and 6 months of follow-up|Proportion of ARI patients in the intervention and control groups receiving follow-up antibiotics within 14 days of their first visit, Proportion of ARI patients in the intervention and control groups receiving follow-up antibiotics (including any antibiotics used within 2 weeks, excluding prescriptions at first visit) within 14 days of their first visit, between the start of intervention and 6 months of follow-up|Proportion of ARI patients in the intervention and control groups who visited the office again, Proportion of ARI patients in the intervention and control groups who visited the office again (within 14 days), between the start of intervention and 6 months of follow-up|Proportion of patients in the intervention and control groups admitted to a superior hospital within 14 days of their initial visit for ARI, Proportion of patients admitted to a superior hospital for ARI within 14 days after initial visit in the intervention and control groups (excluding patients referred at initial visit), between the start of intervention and 6 months of follow-up|Proportion of patients in the intervention group and control group who were prescribed antibiotics due to ARI at first visit during the same period one year before the intervention began, Proportion of patients in the intervention group and control group who were prescribed antibiotics due to ARI at first visit during the same period one year before the intervention began, the same period one year before the intervention began|Average cost of ARI prescriptions in the intervention and control groups, Average cost of ARI prescriptions in the intervention and control groups, between the start of intervention and 6 months of follow-up