15-Minute flu test could speed treatment in nursing homes
NCT ID NCT07846423
First seen Sep 29, 2026 · Last updated Sep 30, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers test whether a rapid, 15-minute molecular flu test used directly in long-term care facilities helps older residents get diagnosed and treated faster than standard lab-based PCR testing. The trial enrolls residents aged 65 and older with symptoms like fever or low oxygen. Facilities are randomly assigned to use either the rapid test or the standard lab pathway, and researchers compare how quickly results are available and whether that affects clinical outcomes and healthcare costs.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Abbott ID NOW rapid molecular influenza test
- What this could lead to
- If the rapid test speeds up flu diagnosis, long-term care facilities could start antiviral treatment sooner and reduce the spread of influenza among vulnerable residents.
- What could go wrong
- Faster test results do not always translate into better outcomes. The trial may find no difference in clinical outcomes, and rapid tests can occasionally miss infections that lab PCR would catch.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 1,080 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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20 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Acute onset of illness with fever (tympanic temperature ≥38°C) persisting for at least 24 hours. * Acute onset of illness accompanied by decreased oxygen saturation (e.g., SpO₂ decreased to 94% or deterioration in oxygenation), or influenza infection highly suspected by the treating physician. * Residents aged 65 years or older with comorbidities (e.g., diabetes mellitus, dialysis, hypertension, heart disease, or use of immunosuppressive agents) who develop acute illness with fever (tympanic temperature ≥37.5°C) persisting for at least 24 hours. * At least one respiratory symptom, such as cough, sore throat, or rhinorrhea, persisting for at least 24 hours. Exclusion Criteria: * A definite alternative diagnosis identified at the initial assessment that explains the influenza-like illness, such as bacterial pneumonia, non-respiratory infection, aspiration pneumonia following choking during feeding, definite urinary tract infection, or known exacerbation of heart failure without evidence of infection. * Refusal by the resident or the resident's legally authorized representative to provide informed consent for data collection. * Expected survival of less than 48 hours, as assessed by a physician. * Participation in this study within the previous 14 days, to avoid duplicate enrollment for the same illness episode. * Residence in a dedicated dementia care unit, because differences in disease characteristics, communication ability, and care practices may affect the internal validity of the study.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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China Medical University Hospital
RECRUITINGTaichung, 404, Taiwan
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