What is the AFRI-c study? A research study to find out whether using potable HEPA air filters could prevent respiratory infections in care home residents.
What will happen if my care home agrees to take part? Your care home will be placed into one of two groups – usual care or usual care plus air filters (in communal areas and some residents’ rooms).
How will I be involved? A trained member of staff will collect information about your health and any infection symptoms you have over one winter, e.g. a runny nose or a cough, and whether you have any falls, and whether you are taking antibiotics.
The information they collect will be anonymised – this means only the staff at the care home will be able to identify you. You can opt out of this at any time.
If your care home is in the AIR FILTER group, up to 5 air filters will be put in communal areas like dining and sitting rooms.
Can I be more involved in the study?
Eligible care homes in England are invited to be part of the study. At each participating care home, we will invite up to 16 residents to be involved in the study. For example, receiving an air filter, completing a questionnaire, or taking part in an interview.
Am I suitable to take part?
We are looking for residents who:
- Are living in a single-occupancy bedroom.
- Are expected to be a resident in the same care home for at least 1 month of the data collection period (September to May).
Do I have to take part? Taking part in research is voluntary. It is up to you to decide whether or not you would like to join the study. If you decide not to take part, your care will not be affected in any way.
What will happen if I agree to take part? You will be asked to sign some paper confirming that you agree to take part. The study team will get some information from your GP records for the research (e.g. about any antibiotics you may have taken during the study period, or any visits to hospital that you have had). We will also share some identifiable information about you with the UKHSA to access the records that they hold (e.g. this will tell us if you have tested positive for COVI-19 during the study period).
If your care home is in the air filter group:
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- An air filter will be installed in your room for the winter period and turned on from 3rd September to 31st May.
- You may also be asked to talk to a researcher about what you think about having the air filters in your room. This element of the study is optional.
For more information please visit our FAQ page, here.
For details on how we will use your information (if you take part) visit our webpage here.