Table 2 Studies’ methods for assessing outcomes
From: Point-of-care testing in private pharmacy and drug retail settings: a narrative review
STUDY METHODS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ref no | First author | Year published | Targeted disease | Safety and accuracy of POCT administration | Accuracy of POCT | POCT testing: uptake, positivity | Treatment decision | Retail price method |
[23] | Ansah | 2015 | Malaria | Mystery clients were directly observed weekly in 1st month and for 1 more week halfway through trial; regular quality control by sampling test kits using positive blood samples | NA | Recorded by seller in study-customized recording form; blood samples collected in both arms | Recorded by seller in study-customized recording form | NA |
[35] | Audu | 2016 | Malaria | NA | NA | Recorded by seller | Recorded by seller | NA |
[36] | Aung | 2015 | Malaria | Mystery client | NA | Household surveys; Mystery client interview | NA | NA |
[24] | Awor | 2014 | Malaria and pneumonia | Direct observation by field supervisor (nurse) | NA | Exit interviews; household survey; direct observation | Exit interviews | NA |
[37] | Awor | 2015 | Malaria and pneumonia | Direct observation by field supervisor (nurse) | NA | Exit interviews; household survey; direct observation | Exit interviews | NA |
[38] | Cohen | 2012 | Malaria | NA | Initial report by WHO/FIND on POCT test, checked every 3 months with 4 unused tests sent for testing | Sales data, administrative records from wholesale distributor, household surveys | Household surveys | NA |
[26] | Hansen | 2017 | Malaria | NA | Microscopy of on-site blood slides | Pharmacy records and surveys | Pharmacy records | Prior willingness to pay study |
[39] | Hutchinson | 2015 | Malaria | No quantitative data | NA | NA | NA | Given for free, can do what they want |
[40] | Hutchinson | 2017 | Malaria | No quantitative data | NA | Information recorded by drug seller and then follow up interviews with questionnaires to clients | Information recorded by drug seller and then follow up interviews with questionnaires to clients (i.e. not based on pharmacy records alone) | Fixed by study authors |
[41] | Ikwuobe | 2013 | Malaria | NA | Batch testing replicating field conditions | Epi-Info version 7 questionnaire | NA | Free |
[42] | Kitutu | 2017 | Malaria, pneumonia and bloody diarrhoea | Direct observation every month | NA | Pharmacist records, exit interviews, direct observation | Pharmacist records, exit interviews, direct observation | NA |
[43] | Kwarteng | 2019 | Malaria | POCT results independently confirmed by lab technician 1 h after results | NA | Participants' questionnaire, focus group discussion, in-depth interview | Participants' questionnaire, focus group discussion, in-depth interview | NA |
[44] | Maloney | 2017 | Malaria | NA | NA | Outlet surveys, customer exit interviews | Customer exit interviews | Willingness to pay responses from pre-intervention exit interviews, comparison w analogous commodities, price negotiation with wholesalers |
[34] | Mbonye | 2015 | Malaria | NA | Used mPOCTs results were routinely checked by research team, confirmed with microscopy testing of blood samples | Vendors recorded data into a specific register | Vendors' data, follow-up interview on 4th day post-visitation | Willingness-to-pay study prior to intervention |
[33] | Mboyne | 2015 | ||||||
[45] | Onwunduba | 2023 | Respiratory tract infections | NA | NA | Mystery clients themseleves recorded data on the visit on structured data collection form | Mystery clients themseleves recorded data on the visit on structured data collection form | RDTs were provided and pharmacies were asked to charge < 1 USD per test |
[46] | O' Meara | 2016 | Malaria | NA | NA | Customized electronic data collection form | Customized electronic data collection form | NA |
[47] | Poyer | 2018 | Malaria | Direct observation by supervisors, mystery client visits | NA | Client exit interviews, mystery client visits | Client exit interviews, mystery client visits | NA |
[48] | Shelus | 2023 | Malaria | NA | NA | Drug shop vendors completed data collection form for each eligible client | Drug shop vendors completed data collection form for each eligible client | NA |
[49] | Simmalavong | 2017 | Malaria | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
[50] | Soniran | 2022 | Malaria | Mystery client | NA | Pre and post-intervention household surveys; mystery client surveys | Pre and post-intervention household surveys; mystery client surveys | NA |
[51] | Sudhinaraset | 2015 | Malaria | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
[52] | Thet | 2021 | Malaria | Survey of drug shop providers | NA | Survey of drug shop providers | Survey of drug shop providers | NA |