CONtact TrAcing in Care homes using digital Technology (CONTACT)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
CONtact TrAcing in Care homes using digital Technology (CONTACT) - A Feasibility Study
IRAS ID
290368
Contact name
Carl Thompson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tragic impact on the ~411,000 older people that live in 15,517 care homes in England and Wales. There is no vaccine, and even if a vaccine is developed the levels of immunity and optimal immunisation regimen for the very elderly will likely differ from the (younger) general population. Since the start of the pandemic, infection rates within homes as high as 80% and mortality rates of 30-50, it is clear that infection control and effective management of contacts between staff, residents and visitors in homes will be key to managing and containing COVID-19.\nConventional structured interview and documentary contact tracing is likely ineffective in care homes. In the many homes where 70-80% of residents live with dementia and staff have more than 50 contacts per day [26] recalling historic contacts using interviews is unfeasible. \nWearable digital devices can help overcome the flaws in contact tracing in care homes using human tracers. Advances in network technology mean small, discrete, wearables, with battery life of up to a year can capture contacts between individuals and their environments. Key information for contact tracing (when, who, where and how long and frequency of contacts) is easily generated, stored and recalled. \nWe are planning to evaluate, through a large scale cluster randomised trial in care homes in West Yorkshire and the East Midlands, whether wearable digital contact tracing devices and tailored feedback of results (CONTACT intervention) are a cost-effective means of generating contact data in care homes, improving infection control and COVID-19 resident infection rates and mortality, compared with contact tracing as usual. Although contact tracing devices are widely used we are not aware of any rigorously evaluated non smartphone based digital device contact tracing empirical studies. Therefore, prior to the definitive trial we will assess the acceptability and feasibility of intervention delivery processes, and trial design/implementation, in a single arm feasibility study, in two care homes.\nThis application is for the single arm feasibility study.\n
REC name
Social Care REC
REC reference
20/IEC08/0039
Date of REC Opinion
10 Nov 2020
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion