scholarly journals Evaluating an app-guided self-test for influenza: lessons learned for improving the feasibility of study designs to evaluate self-tests for respiratory viruses

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica L. Zigman Suchsland ◽  
Ivan Rahmatullah ◽  
Barry Lutz ◽  
Victoria Lyon ◽  
Shichu Huang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Seasonal influenza leads to significant morbidity and mortality. Rapid self-tests could improve access to influenza testing in community settings. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a mobile app-guided influenza rapid self-test for adults with influenza like illness (ILI), and identify optimal methods for conducting accuracy studies for home-based assays for influenza and other respiratory viruses. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited adults who self-reported ILI online. Participants downloaded a mobile app, which guided them through two low nasal swab self-samples. Participants tested the index swab using a lateral flow assay. Test accuracy results were compared to the reference swab tested in a research laboratory for influenza A/B using a molecular assay. Results Analysis included 739 participants, 80% were 25–64 years of age, 79% female, and 73% white. Influenza positivity was 5.9% based on the laboratory reference test. Of those who started their test, 92% reported a self-test result. The sensitivity and specificity of participants’ interpretation of the test result compared to the laboratory reference standard were 14% (95%CI 5–28%) and 90% (95%CI 87–92%), respectively. Conclusions A mobile app facilitated study procedures to determine the accuracy of a home based test for influenza, however, test sensitivity was low. Recruiting individuals outside clinical settings who self-report ILI symptoms may lead to lower rates of influenza and/or less severe disease. Earlier identification of study subjects within 48 h of symptom onset through inclusion criteria and rapid shipping of tests or pre-positioning tests is needed to allow self-testing earlier in the course of illness, when viral load is higher.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettina Moltrecht ◽  
Praveetha Patalay ◽  
Jessica Deighton ◽  
Julian Edbrooke-Childs

BACKGROUND Most mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety have their onset during childhood. Rising prevalence rates of mental health difficulties in young people are asking for new, innovative approaches to tackle this problem. Digital interventions designed for the school context that can address common risk factors and symptoms such as emotion dysregulation present exciting opportunities to enhance existing youth mental health provision. OBJECTIVE The present research explored the use of a new app to support emotion regulation in children for the school context. METHODS Intervention components derived from a combination of public engagement events, user-centred design workshops and evidence-based methods based on cognitive-behavioural therapy. Four primary schools participated in a 3-month exploratory feasibility trial with 144 children and 6 teachers. Children (aged 10-12) accessed the intervention on tablets in the classroom and at home. Outcomes regarding usability, acceptability and implementation were assessed through digital user data, self-report questionnaires and interviews. RESULTS Results show that children and teachers reported positive experiences with the app and that the exercises helped them to calm down and relax. Children reported better emotional understanding. Areas of improvement are identified relating to design and technology issues, as well as future design goals in relation to more complex aspects of emotion regulation as a construct. CONCLUSIONS The study provides important insights regarding the design, development and evaluation of a new app for children to support their emotion regulation abilities in the school context. Our results demonstrate that mental health apps represent a promising means to facilitate effective youth mental health provision in and outside of the school context. Important “lessons learned” are shared to support other researchers and clinicians on similar journeys. CLINICALTRIAL N/A


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 234
Author(s):  
Sarah Al-Beltagi ◽  
Cristian Alexandru Preda ◽  
Leah V. Goulding ◽  
Joe James ◽  
Juan Pu ◽  
...  

The long-term control strategy of SARS-CoV-2 and other major respiratory viruses needs to include antivirals to treat acute infections, in addition to the judicious use of effective vaccines. Whilst COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out for mass vaccination, the modest number of antivirals in use or development for any disease bears testament to the challenges of antiviral development. We recently showed that non-cytotoxic levels of thapsigargin (TG), an inhibitor of the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ ATPase pump, induces a potent host innate immune antiviral response that blocks influenza A virus replication. Here we show that TG is also highly effective in blocking the replication of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), common cold coronavirus OC43, SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus in immortalized or primary human cells. TG’s antiviral performance was significantly better than remdesivir and ribavirin in their respective inhibition of OC43 and RSV. Notably, TG was just as inhibitory to coronaviruses (OC43 and SARS-CoV-2) and influenza viruses (USSR H1N1 and pdm 2009 H1N1) in separate infections as in co-infections. Post-infection oral gavage of acid-stable TG protected mice against a lethal influenza virus challenge. Together with its ability to inhibit the different viruses before or during active infection, and with an antiviral duration of at least 48 h post-TG exposure, we propose that TG (or its derivatives) is a promising broad-spectrum inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2, OC43, RSV and influenza virus.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5985
Author(s):  
Bryan Weichelt ◽  
Jeffrey VanWormer ◽  
Yin Xu ◽  
Chris Kadolph ◽  
Simon Lin

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major public health concern in the United States. In response to the federally sponsored Million Hearts Risk Check Challenge, a team of programmers, software developers, health-information technologists, and clinicians in an integrated healthcare system in Wisconsin collaborated to develop Heart Health MobileTM (HHM), designed to improve awareness of cardiovascular disease risk and promote risk factor control among users. This paper outlines the development processes and highlights key lessons learned for mobile health applications. An agile project management methodology was used to dedicate adequate resources and employ adaptive planning and iterative development processes with a self-organized, cross-functional team. The initial HHM iOS app was developed and tested, and after additional modifications, gamified and HTML 5 versions of the app were released. The development of an iOS app is low in cost and sustainable by a healthcare system. Future app modifications to enhance data security and link self-reported cardiovascular risk assessment data to patient medical records may improve performance, patient relevance, and clinician acceptance of HHM in the primary-care setting. Legal and institutional barriers regarding the capture and analyses of protected health information must be mitigated to fully capture, analyze, and report patient health outcomes for future studies.


2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-195
Author(s):  
Dalva Assunção Portari Mancini ◽  
Aparecida Santo Pietro Pereira ◽  
Rita Maria Zucatelli Mendonça ◽  
Adelia Hiroko Nagamori Kawamoto ◽  
Rosely Cabette Barbosa Alves ◽  
...  

Equines are susceptible to respiratory viruses such as influenza and parainfluenza. Respiratory diseases have adversely impacted economies all over the world. This study was intended to determine the presence of influenza and parainfluenza viruses in unvaccinated horses from some regions of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Blood serum collected from 72 equines of different towns in this state was tested by hemagglutination inhibition test to detect antibodies for both viruses using the corresponding antigens. About 98.6% (71) and 97.2% (70) of the equines responded with antibody protective titers (≥ 80 HIU/25µL) H7N7 and H3N8 subtypes of influenza A viruses, respectively. All horses (72) also responded with protective titers (≥ 80) HIU/25µL against the parainfluenza virus. The difference between mean antibody titers to H7N7 and H3N8 subtypes of influenza A viruses was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The mean titers for influenza and parainfluenza viruses, on the other hand, showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). These results indicate a better antibody response from equines to parainfluenza 3 virus than to the equine influenza viruses. No statistically significant differences in the responses against H7N7 and H3N8 subtypes of influenza A and parainfluenza 3 viruses were observed according to the gender (female, male) or the age (≤ 2 to 20 years-old) groups. This study provides evidence of the concomitant presence of two subtypes of the equine influenza A (H7N7 and H3N8) viruses and the parainfluenza 3 virus in equines in Brazil. Thus, it is advisable to vaccinate equines against these respiratory viruses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoguang Li ◽  
Jing Chen ◽  
Fei Lin ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Jie Xu ◽  
...  

AbstractRapid influenza diagnosis can facilitate targeted treatment and reduce antibiotic misuse. However, diagnosis efficacy remains unclear. This study examined the efficacy of a colloidal gold rapid test for rapid influenza diagnosis. Clinical characteristics of 520 patients with influenza-like illness presenting at a fever outpatient clinic during two influenza seasons (2017–2018; 2018–2019) were evaluated. The clinical manifestations and results of routine blood, colloidal gold, and nucleic acid tests were used to construct a decision tree with three layers, nine nodes, and five terminal nodes. The combined positive predictive value of a positive colloidal gold test result and monocyte level within 10.95–12.55% was 88.2%. The combined negative predictive value of a negative colloidal gold test result and white blood cell count > 9.075 × 109/L was 84.9%. The decision-tree model showed the satisfactory accuracy of an early influenza diagnosis based on colloidal gold and routine blood test results.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Commiskey ◽  
April W Armstrong ◽  
Tumaini Rucker Coker ◽  
Earl Ray Dorsey ◽  
John Fortney ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Recent literature supports the efficacy and efficiency of telemedicine in improving various health outcomes, despite the wide variability in results. OBJECTIVE Understanding site-specific issues in the implementation of telemedicine trials for broader replication and generalizability of results is needed. Lessons can be learned from existing trials, and a blueprint can guide researchers to conduct these challenging studies using telemedicine more efficiently and effectively. METHODS This viewpoint presents relevant challenges and solutions for conducting multi-site telemedicine trials using seven ongoing and completed studies funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) portfolio of large multi-site trials to highlight the challenges in implementing telemedicine trials. RESULTS Implementation challenges related to clinical, informatics, regulatory, legal, quality and billing were identified and described. CONCLUSIONS Lessons learned from these studies were used to create a blueprint of key aspects to consider for the design and implementation of multi-site telemedicine trials. CLINICALTRIAL NCT02358135: Improving Specialty-Care Delivery in Chronic Skin Diseases (PI: AWArmstrong) NCT02396576: Using Telehealth to Deliver Developmental, Behavioral, and Mental Health Services in Primary Care Settings for Children in Underserved Areas (PI: TRCoker) NCT02038959: Connect.Parkinson (PI: RDorsey) NCT04000971: C3FIT (Coordinated, Collaborative, Comprehensive, Family-based, Integrated, Technology-enabled Care) Stroke Care Trial (PI: KGaines) NCT03694431: Noninferiority Comparative Effectiveness Trial of Home-Based Palliative Care (HomePal) Trial (PI: HNguyen, KMularski) NCT04153864: SUMMIT (Scaling Up Maternal Mental healthcare by Increasing access to Treatments) Trial (PI: DRSingla) NCT03985800: Specialty Medical Homes to Improve Outcomes for Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Behavioral Health Conditions Trial (PI: ESzigethy)


Author(s):  
Susan Alexander ◽  
Haley Hoy ◽  
Manil Maskey ◽  
Helen Conover ◽  
John Gamble ◽  
...  

The knowledge base for healthcare providers working in the field of organ transplantation has grown exponentially. However, the field has no centralized ‘space’ dedicated to efficient access and sharing of information.The ease of use and portability of mobile applications (apps) make them ideal for subspecialists working in complex healthcare environments. In this article, the authors review the literature related to healthcare technology; describe the development of health-related technology; present their mobile app pilot project assessing the effects of a collaborative, mobile app based on a freely available content manage framework; and report their findings. They conclude by sharing both lessons learned while completing this project and future directions.


2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kumnuan Ungchusak ◽  
Pathom Sawanpanyalert ◽  
Wanna Hanchoworakul ◽  
Narumol Sawanpanyalert ◽  
Susan A. Maloney ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 161 (52) ◽  
pp. 2179-2187
Author(s):  
Boglárka Laky ◽  
Bálint Gergely Szabó

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés, célkitűzés: Az influenzaszezonban fellépő, elsősorban virális megbetegedések jelentős morbiditási és mortalitási teherrel rendelkeznek. Célunk volt az influenzaszerű betegséggel (ILI) és akut légúti betegséggel (ARI) kórházba felvett felnőtt betegek mikrobiológiai és klinikai karakterisztikájának leírása. Módszerek: Egycentrumos, obszervációs kohorszvizsgálatunk során a 2018/2019. évi légúti szezonban a Dél-pesti Centrumkórház – Országos Hematológiai és Infektológiai Intézet Infektológiai Osztályára ILI/ARI diagnózissal felvett betegek eseteit dolgoztuk fel a kórház elektronikus adatbázisának segítségével. Bevonásra azon betegek kerültek, akiknél légúti PCR-vizsgálat történt. A bevont betegeket alcsoportokra osztottuk: klinikai ILI/ARI, PCR-pozitív ILI/ARI influezavírussal, PCR-pozitív ILI/ARI más vírussal. Elsődleges kimenetelnek a komplikált betegséglefolyást, másodlagos kimenetelnek a kórházi összhalálozást, az intenzív osztályos (ICU-) felvételt, az osztályos ápolás hosszát (LOS) és az ICU LOS-t választottuk. Statisztikai összehasonlításra a Mann–Whitney-féle U-próbát, a Fisher-féle egzakt tesztet használtuk. Eredmények: A bevont 112 eset 42,8%-ában igazolódott influenza A- vagy B-vírus, 7,1%-ban egyéb légúti vírus, második leggyakrabban az RSV etiológiai szerepe. Megelőző kórházi ellátás szignifikánsan gyakrabban fordult elő PCR-pozitív ILI/ARI esetekben (23,2% vs. 42,8%; p = 0,04); ugyanezen betegek körében a panaszok kezdetétől a diagnózisig eltelt idő kb. 1 nappal rövidebb volt (3,0 ± 4,0 vs. 4,0 ± 5,0 nap; p = 0,02). A komplikációk gyakoriságát hasonló nagyságúnak találtuk (46,4% vs. 51,8%; p = 0,72), a leggyakoribb szövődmény a tüdőgyulladás volt (45,5%). ICU-felvételre az esetek 5,4%-ában volt szükség, a kórházi összhalálozás 3,6%-nak adódott. A medián LOS 8,5 ± 8,0 nap, a medián ICU LOS ideje 20,5 ± 30,5 nap volt. Következtetés: A vizsgált légúti szezonban ILI/ARI diagnózissal felvett betegek jelentős részében influenza-, kisebb hányadban egyéb légúti vírusok voltak felelősek a klinikumért. A leggyakoribb szövődmény a pneumonia volt. A légúti PCR-vizsgálat lehetőséget nyújthat az etiológia tisztázására. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(52): 2179–2187. Summary. Introduction, objectives: A significant burden of morbidity and mortality is caused by seasonal outbreaks of respiratory viruses. Our aim was to identify clinical and microbiological differences among adult patients hospitalized with acute respiratory infection (ARI) or influenza-like illness (ILI). Methods: A single-center observational cohort study was conducted at South Pest Central Hospital, National Institute of Hematology and Infectious Diseases during the 2018/2019 influenza season. Patients were identified using the hospital database, and included in the study if respiratory PCR sampling was done during hospital stay. Subgroups were created according to the identified etiology: clinical ILI/ARI (no PCR positivity), PCR positive ILI/ARI with influenza, PCR positive ILI/ARI with other virus(es). Primary outcome was the occurrence of any complication, secondary outcomes were in-hospital all-cause mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, length of stay (LOS) and ICU LOS. For statistical analysis, Mann–Whitney and Fisher’s tests were used. Results: From 112 identified cases, 42.8% were caused by influenza A or B, 7.1% by other viruses, notably RSV. PCR positivity frequently associated with prior hospitalization (23.2% vs. 42.8%; p = 0.04), and shorter time from symptom onset to diagnosis (3.0 ± 4.0 vs. 4.0 ±5.0 days, p = 0.02). Complication rates were similar among subgroups (46.4% vs. 51.8%; p = 0.72), with pneumonia as a leading complication (45.5%). ICU admission was necessary in 5.4%, in-hospital all-cause mortality was 3.6%. Median LOS and ICU LOS were 8.5 ± 8.0 and 20.5 ± 30.5 days, respectively. Conclusion: During the 2018/2019 season, most ILI/ARI cases were caused by influenza, but other respiratory viruses could also be detected in lower rates. Pneumonia was the most common complication. Respiratory PCR sampling might provide a feasible way of etiology identification. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(52): 2179–2187.


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