- Page navigation anchor for The Sore Throat Test and Treat Service: speed should not substitute scienceThe Sore Throat Test and Treat Service: speed should not substitute science
We enjoyed the article1 on new technologies in general practice and are excited by their potential, however, it is vitally important that these are appropriately researched. Recently, NHS England and Boots introduced point-of-care throat swab tests into Boots pharmacies2 and following a small feasibility evaluation3 (designed and funded by Boots) they now plan to roll this out nationally.
Pharmacy staff identified patients with a sore throat who had a history of fever and/or the absence of cough, and a trained pharmacist examined the tonsils for exudate and palpated for tender cervical lymphadenopathy. Three hundred and sixty-seven patients were recruited; 40% were positive for 3 of 4 of the CENTOR clinical scoring system (these patients were offered a throat swab test).3 Patients were asked their hypothetical course of action had they not accessed the service and data was available on 60% of patients. From this, the number of GP consultations prevented and a reduction in antibiotic prescribing were estimated. The authors did not present any statistical data.3
A study such as this is at high risk of selection bias and is likely to overestimate any health service benefit. It omits the vital step of a control group in which the new service was not available, to calculate clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and impact. For example, CENTOR was developed and validated in patients attending A&E...
Show MoreCompeting Interests: None declared.