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CompletedNCT03365713GECo1Updated Jun 18, 2023

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

An observational study in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, sponsored by University College, London. Completed at 3 sites in 3 countries. Open to participants aged 40 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-06-18.

Sponsored by University College, London · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
10,709
Ages
40 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study 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.

Read the 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.

02

Conditions studied

  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Keywords

  • COPD
  • Spirometry
  • COPD Diagnosis
  • PEF
  • Case Finding
  • LMIC
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
40 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

A randomly-selected age- and sex-stratified population sample of adults aged ≥40 years; a total of 10,500 will be recruited from the following three countries in the catchment areas of existing community census areas, in Bhaktapur (Nepal), Lima (Peru), and Nakaseke (Uganda).

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

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy (self-reported)
  • Currently has active pulmonary TB or is taking medications for pulmonary TB
04

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
10,709 participants (actual)
Target follow-up
12 Months
Patient registry
Yes
05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Sensitivity, Specificity and Positive Predictive Value of Simple Case Finding tools

    Sensitivity, Specificity and Positive Predictive Value of the case-finding questionnaires with and without peak-expiratory flow (PEF), compared to spirometry.

    Time frame: 12 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Process Evaluation - Actual number of participants recruited against target.

    Total number of participants successfully recruited into the study against the target figure determined by the power calculations.

    Time frame: 12 months

  2. Fidelity - Spirometry Quality Control Failures

    Extent 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.

    Time frame: 12 months

  3. Fidelity - Proportion of Questionnaires with Missing Data Fields

    Extent 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.

    Time frame: 12 months

  4. Health Economics

    Health-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.

    Time frame: 12 months

06

Study locations

3 sites
  • Institute of Medicine
    Kathmandu, Nepal
  • Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
    Lima, Peru
  • Makerere University Lung Institute
    Makerere, Uganda
07

References and documents

Publications

  • Robertson NM, Siddharthan T, Pollard SL, Alupo P, Flores-Flores O, Rykiel NA, Romani ED, Ascencio-Dias I, Kirenga B, Checkley W, Hurst JR, Quaderi S; GECo Investigators. Development and Validity Assessment of a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Knowledge Questionnaire in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2021 Aug;18(8):1298-1305. doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202007-884OC. PubMed 33476252 ↗
  • Siddharthan T, Pollard SL, Quaderi SA, Mirelman AJ, Cardenas MK, Kirenga B, Rykiel NA, Miranda JJ, Shrestha L, Chandyo RK, Cattamanchi A, Michie S, Barber J, Checkley W, Hurst JR; GECo Study Investigators. Effectiveness-implementation of COPD case finding and self-management action plans in low- and middle-income countries: global excellence in COPD outcomes (GECo) study protocol. Trials. 2018 Oct 19;19(1):571. doi: 10.1186/s13063-018-2909-8. PubMed 30340648 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03365713
Lead sponsor
University College, London
Collaborators
Johns Hopkins University, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Asociacion Benefica Prisma, Makerere University, University of York, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Institute Of Medicine.
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Dec 7, 2017
Start date
Jan 8, 2018
Primary completion
Mar 9, 2020
Completion
Mar 9, 2020
Last update
Jun 18, 2023

Study contacts

John Hurst, PhD FRCP
principal investigator · University College, London

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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