Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39622585›Full record

ArticleBJGP open2025

'The doctors were more knowledgeable about what I had': patient views on the value of point-of-care tests for managing respiratory infections. A qualitative study in European primary care.

Marta Wanat, Melanie Eugenie Hoste, Marilena Anastasaki, Femke Böhmer, Annelies Colliers, Maria Gkamaletsou, Christin Löffler, Christos Lionis, Lile Malania, Mala Shah and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BJGP open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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

16 authors.

Marta WanatNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK marta.wanat@phc.ox.ac.uk.
Melanie Eugenie HosteDepartment of Family Medicine and Population Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Marilena AnastasakiClinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
Femke BöhmerInstitute of General Practice, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany.
Annelies ColliersDepartment of Family Medicine and Population Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Maria GkamaletsouClinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
Christin LöfflerInstitute of General Practice, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany.
Christos LionisClinic of Social and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
Lile MalaniaNational Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Mala ShahPharmaceutical Care Research Group, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Republic of Ireland.
Anja WollnyInstitute of General Practice, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany.
Akke VellingaSchool of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Republic of Ireland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6583-4300
Christopher C ButlerNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Alike W van der VeldenJulius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9443-2837
Sibyl AnthierensDepartment of Family Medicine and Population Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Sarah Tonkin-CrineNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4470-1151

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPoint-of-care tests (POCT) can support diagnosis of patients with community-acquired acute respiratory tract infections (CA-RTI) in primary care and thereby reduce uncertainty whether antibiotics may benefit patients. However, successful roll out of POCTs need to be built on a deep understanding of patients' perspectives on the place of POCTs in patient-centred care.

aimTo explore patients' perceptions of the value of POCTs during consultations for CA-RTI. DESIGN &

settingA qualitative study using semi-structured interviews in Belgium, Republic of Ireland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, and the UK with patients who consulted for CA-RTI in primary care.

methodInterviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

resultsInterviews with 56 participants revealed that in the process of a GP making a diagnosis and treatment decision, patients valued several components, such as a physical examination, their GP enquiring about and listening to concerns, and a POCT. Yet, the visibility and relative importance of each of these components varied in the four main ways in which patients perceived the value of POCTs, including 1) test as objective evidence compared to 'subjective' clinical judgment; 2) test as providing more precision; 3) test as inferior to clinical judgment; 4) test as one of the tools in the GP's toolbox.

conclusionThe wide variation in patient perceptions about POCT for CA-RTI underscores the importance of recognising patient preferences regarding the diagnostic process. This understanding is important to ensure that POCT results optimally influence treatment decision-making, patient satisfaction, and acceptance of their care plan.

Indexed as

general practicepoint-of-care testsqualitative

Identifiers

PMID39622585
PMCPMC12421285

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.