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GECo: Implementation and Effectiveness of COPD Case-Finding in Low and Middle Income Countries

Global Excellence in COPD Outcomes: Implementation and Effectiveness of COPD Case-Finding in Low and Middle Income Countries

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03365713
Acronym
GECo1
Enrollment
10709
Registered
2017-12-07
Start date
2018-01-08
Completion date
2020-03-09
Last updated
2023-06-18

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Keywords

COPD, Spirometry, COPD Diagnosis, PEF, Case Finding, LMIC

Brief summary

This study will test how well short questionnaires, with and without a simple breathing test called 'peak flow', can identify people with COPD compared to the gold-standard diagnostic test called spirometry. We will test this in 10,500 people from three low- and middle-income countries, namely Nepal, Peru and Uganda. We will also examine the feasibility of implementing our case-finding intervention at scale.

Detailed description

The investigators will determine whether case-finding for COPD can be facilitated using 5-item questionnaires with and without a measurement of Peak-Flow. The investigators hypothesise that 5-item questionnaires will be a valid case-finding tool for COPD in LMIC and will be acceptable and feasible for use in these settings. 1. Clinical Aim: Determine the diagnostic accuracy of the case-finding questionnaires with and without PEF. 2. Implementation Aim: Assess the appropriateness, acceptability and feasibility of using questionnaires and PEF to identify COPD cases from the perspective of local community members, community health workers, local health centre physicians and ministries of health. The design of the intervention will be informed by formative work prior to commencement of the main study. Study fieldworkers will enroll and screen a randomly-selected age- and sex-stratified population sample of adults aged ≥40 years; a total of 10,500 between the following three countries in the catchment areas of existing community census areas in Bhaktapur (Nepal), Lima (Peru), and Nakaseke (Uganda). The investigators will report the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value of the case-finding questionnaire, with and without PEF, in relation to a gold standard COPD diagnosis made at spirometry (post-bronchodilator FEV1/VC ratio \<LLN, with a history of significant respiratory exposure to tobacco smoke or biomass). The investigators will construct ROC curves to visualise trade-offs in sensitivity and specificity across a range of questionnaire cut off values. The investigators will also examine the feasibility of implementing a 5 item questionnaire +/- PEF intervention at scale.

Interventions

None listed

Sponsors

Johns Hopkins University
CollaboratorOTHER
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
CollaboratorOTHER
Asociacion Benefica Prisma
CollaboratorOTHER
Makerere University
CollaboratorOTHER
University of York
CollaboratorOTHER
Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute Of Medicine.
CollaboratorOTHER
University College, London
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
40 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Male or female participants aged ≥40 years * Full-time resident in the area (living in area \> 6 months) * Able to perform adequate quality spirometry * Capable of providing informed consent

Exclusion criteria

* Pregnancy (self-reported) * Currently has active pulmonary TB or is taking medications for pulmonary TB

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Sensitivity, Specificity and Positive Predictive Value of Simple Case Finding tools12 monthsSensitivity, Specificity and Positive Predictive Value of the case-finding questionnaires with and without peak-expiratory flow (PEF), compared to spirometry.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Process Evaluation - Actual number of participants recruited against target.12 monthsTotal number of participants successfully recruited into the study against the target figure determined by the power calculations.
Fidelity - Spirometry Quality Control Failures12 monthsExtent to which delivery adheres to the protocol developed. Spirometry delivery - Only tests which meet both acceptability and repeatability criteria as per ERS/ATS (European Respiratory Society / American Thoracic Society) guidelines will be accepted. Spirometry interpretation - All Spirometry preformed will be over-read locally, and a proportion (see below) will be over-read centrally. Two separate researchers, at each site, adequately trained in both spirometry delivery and interpretation will separately perform interpretation of all spriometry carried out in the field, to ensure correct interpretation in relation to a gold standard COPD diagnosis made at spirometry (post-bronchodilator FEV1/VC ratio \<LLN, with a history of significant respiratory exposure to tobacco smoke or biomass) . Of these, 10% will be over-read centrally by the principal investigators to ensure quality assurance.
Fidelity - Proportion of Questionnaires with Missing Data Fields12 monthsExtent to which delivery adheres to the protocol developed. The investigators will report the proportion of incomplete questionnaires (any questionnaires with one or more missing data fields) in total and at each individual site.
Health Economics12 monthsHealth-related productivity costs measured as hours of lost work from COPD and related symptoms. Inequalities in productivity costs according to illness severity and wealth status.

Countries

Nepal, Peru, Uganda

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 23, 2026