Zomer Colene L, Kroese Floor, Sanders Jet G, Janssen Riny, de Bruin Marijn
Corona Behavioural Unit, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
Radboud University Medical Center, Institute of Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Sci Rep. 2024 Mar 11;14(1):5887. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-54988-9.
To inform future Dutch COVID-19 testing policies we did an experimental vignette study to investigate whether inclusion of the less reliable lateral flow tests (self-tests) would change test-uptake sufficiently to improve population-level test sensitivity. A representative sample (n = 3,270) participated in a 2-by-2 online experiment to evaluate the effects of test-guidelines including self-testing advice (IV1), and the effects of self-test availability (IV2) on expected test uptake (PCR test, self-test or no test) and sensitivity of the overall test strategy (primary outcome). Across four scenarios, changing test advice did not affect expected testing behaviour. Self-test availability, however, increased the timeliness of testing, the number of people testing, and overall test strategy sensitivity. Based on these findings, we recommend that (national) policy facilitates a supply of self-tests at home, for example through free and pro-active distribution of test-kits during a pandemic. This could substantially enhance the chances of timely detecting and isolating patients.
为了为荷兰未来的新冠病毒检测政策提供参考，我们开展了一项实验性 vignette 研究，以调查纳入可靠性较低的侧向流动检测（自我检测）是否会充分改变检测接受度，从而提高人群层面的检测敏感性。一个具有代表性的样本（n = 3270）参与了一项 2×2 在线实验，以评估包含自我检测建议的检测指南（IV1）以及自我检测可用性（IV2）对预期检测接受度（PCR 检测、自我检测或不检测）和整体检测策略敏感性（主要结果）的影响。在四种情景下，改变检测建议并未影响预期检测行为。然而，自我检测的可用性提高了检测的及时性、检测人数以及整体检测策略的敏感性。基于这些发现，我们建议（国家）政策应促进家庭自我检测的供应，例如在疫情期间通过免费且积极地分发检测试剂盒来实现。这可以大幅增加及时发现和隔离患者的机会。
