Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26296847›Full record

ArticlePublic health2015

Comparison of Infrared Thermal Detection Systems for mass fever screening in a tropical healthcare setting.

M R Tay, Y L Low, X Zhao, A R Cook, V J Lee

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Public health, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 40% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 49 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  13. Noncontact Sensing of Contagion.Journal of imaging · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

M R TayBiodefence Centre, Singapore Armed Forces, 778910, Singapore.
Y L LowBiodefence Centre, Singapore Armed Forces, 778910, Singapore.
X ZhaoSaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
A R CookSaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, 117597, Singapore; Yale-NUS College, National University of Singapore, 138614, Singapore; Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, 169857, Singapore; Department of Statistics and Applied Probability, National University of Singapore, 138614, Singapore.
V J LeeBiodefence Centre, Singapore Armed Forces, 778910, Singapore; Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, 117597, Singapore. Electronic address: vernonljm@hotmail.com.
Ministry of Defence · SGDuke-NUS Medical School · SGNational University Health System · SG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesFever screening systems, such as Infrared Thermal Detection Systems (ITDS), have been used for rapid identification of potential cases during respiratory disease outbreaks for public health management. ITDS detect a difference between the subject and ambient temperature, making deployment in hot climates more challenging. This study, conducted in Singapore, a tropical city, evaluates the accuracy of three different ITDS for fever detection compared with traditional oral thermometry and self-reporting in a clinical setting. STUDY

designThis study is a prospective operational evaluation conducted in the Singapore military on all personnel seeking medical care at a high-volume primary healthcare centre over a one week period in February 2014.

methodsThree ITDS, the STE Infrared Fever Screening System (IFSS), the Omnisense Sentry MKIII and the handheld Quick Shot Infrared Thermoscope HT-F03B, were evaluated. Temperature measurements were taken outside the healthcare centre, under a sheltered walkway and compared to oral temperature. Subjects were asked if they had fever.

resultsThere were 430 subjects screened, of whom 34 participants (7.9%) had confirmed fever, determined by oral thermometer measurement. The handheld infrared thermoscope had a very low sensitivity (29.4%), but a high specificity (96.8%). The STE ITDS had a moderate sensitivity (44.1%), but a very high specificity (99.1%). Self-reported fevers showed good sensitivity (88.2%) and specificity (93.9%). The sensitivity of the Omnisense ITDS (89.7%) was the highest among the three methods with good specificity (92.0%).

conclusionThe new generation Omnisense ITDS displayed a relatively high sensitivity and specificity for fever. Though it has a lower sensitivity, the old generation STE ITDS system showed a very high specificity. Self-reporting of fever was reliable. The handheld thermograph should not be used as a fever-screening tool under tropical conditions.

Indexed as

Infrared RaysTropical MedicineBody TemperatureFemaleFeverHumansMaleMass ScreeningMilitary PersonnelProspective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificitySingaporeYoung AdultFeverInfraredMass screeningThermometryTropical

Identifiers

PMID26296847
PMCPMC7111721
OpenAlexW2147564575

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.