Observational studyScientific reports2021
Proper use of noncontact infrared thermometry for temperature screening during COVID-19.
Observational study in Scientific reports, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cross-sectional analysis of site- and ambient temperature-related variability in noncontact infrared thermometry among healthy Black African adults.The Journal of international medical research · 2026Article
- Approach to Low Body Temperature or Mild Hypothermia in the Geriatric Population: A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine research · 2026Review
- A Comprehensive Review of Non-Invasive Core Body Temperature Measurement Techniques.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- A Novel Non-Invasive Thermometer for Continuous Core Body Temperature: Comparison with Tympanic Temperature in an Acute Stroke Clinical Setting.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- The Current State of Optical Sensors in Medical Wearables.Biosensors · 2022Review
- Forehead, Temple and Wrist Temperature Assessment of Ethnic Groups using Infrared Technology.Medical engineering & physics · 2022Article
- Reliability of Non-Contact Infrared Thermometers for Fever Screening Under COVID-19.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Among the myriad of challenges healthcare institutions face in dealing with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), screening for the detection of febrile persons entering facilities remains problematic, particularly when paired with CDC and WHO spatial distancing guidance. Aggressive source control measures during the outbreak of COVID-19 has led to re-purposed use of noncontact infrared thermometry (NCIT) for temperature screening. This study was commissioned to establish the efficacy of this technology for temperature screening by healthcare facilities. We conducted a prospective, observational, single-center study in a level II trauma center at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak to assess (i) method agreement between NCIT and temporal artery reference temperature, (ii) diagnostic accuracy of NCIT in detecting referent temperature [Formula: see text] and ensuing test sensitivity and specificity and (iii) technical limitations of this technology. Of 51 healthy, non-febrile, healthcare workers surveyed, the mean temporal artery temperature was [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] confidence interval (CI) = [Formula: see text]). Mean NCIT temperatures measured from [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] distances were [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], respectively. From statistical analysis, the only method in sufficient agreement with the reference standard was NCIT at [Formula: see text]. This demonstrated that the device offset (mean temperature difference) between these methods was [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) with 95% of measurement differences within [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) and [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]). By setting the NCIT screening threshold to [Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text], we achieve diagnostic accuracy with [Formula: see text] test sensitivity and specificity for temperature detection [Formula: see text] by reference standard. In comparison, reducing this screening criterion to the lower limit of the device-specific offset, such as [Formula: see text], produces a highly sensitive screening test at [Formula: see text], which may be favorable in high-risk pandemic disease. For future consideration, an infrared device with a higher distance-to-spot size ratio approaching 50:1 would theoretically produce similar results at [Formula: see text], in accordance with CDC and WHO spatial distancing guidelines.
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Registered trials
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.