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TuberculosisNCT05139940

Validation of Artificial Intelligence Enabled TB Screening and Diagnosis in Zambia

An observational study of Tuberculosis, run by Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia at 3 sites in Zambia.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global epidemic and for many years has remained a major cause of death throughout the developing world. Zambia is among the top 30 TB/HIV high burden countries. Chest X-ray (CXR) is recommended as a triaging test for TB, and a diagnostic aid when available. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Tuberculosis
How many people
2,432 participants
Where
3 sitesZambia
Study dates
22 Nov 2021to 30 Nov 2022
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: The study will be conducted from Chainda South Clinic, Chawama and Kanyama General Hospitals. These facilities are selected based on existing access to digital radiography. Participants will be drawn from patients attending these health facilities for: * Health services * TB households of those who are close contacts of TB households within the catchment area of these facilities

Who may be able to join

  • Participants who are 18 years and older with a known HIV status or are willing to undergo HIV testing if unknown HIV status and meet the following criteria will be included in the study:
  • Presumptive TB patients defined as having any of the following:
  • ○ Cough, Weight loss, Night sweats, Fever
  • Household /close TB contacts regardless of symptoms
  • Newly diagnosed HIV regardless of symptoms.

Who cannot join

  • Individuals who do meet the above inclusion criteria will be excluded. In addition, individuals with history of TB treatment within 365 days prior to enrolment will be excluded.

Trial locations and contacts

3 sites in 1 country.

Zambia3 sites
  • Chainda South Health Facility

    Lusaka, Lusaka Province, 10101

  • Chawama first level hospital

    Lusaka, Lusaka Province, 10101

  • Kanyama level 1

    Lusaka, Lusaka Province, 10101

Other trials in Zambia

About this study

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global epidemic and for many years has remained a major cause of death throughout the developing world. Zambia is among the top 30 TB/HIV high burden countries. Chest X-ray (CXR) is recommended as a triaging test for TB, and a diagnostic aid when available. However, many high-burden settings lack access to experienced radiologists capable of interpreting these images, resulting in mixed sensitivity, poor specificity, and large inter-observer variation. In recognition of this challenge, the World Health Organization has recommended the use of automated systems that utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to read CXRs for screening and triaging for TB. In this study, we primarily evaluate the performance of our AI algorithm for TB, and secondarily for Abnormal/Normal.

Conditions
Tuberculosis
Keywords
Screening, Diagnosis, Artificial Intelligence, Chest X-ray
Medical subject headings
Tuberculosis, Disease

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT05139940
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Pilot Group to calibrate the operating points for AI algorithms (Estimated Enrollment up to 500)Diagnostic Test: TB AI algorithm performance in detecting active TB. Diagnostic Test: TB diagnosis from sputum and urine (Smear microscopy, Xpert MTB RIF/ultra, Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and mycobacterial culture) Diagnostic Test: Abnormal/Normal AI algorithm to detect abnormal/normal CXRs. Diagnostic Test: Radiologist evaluation of CXRs for active TB, abnormal/normal. Diagnostic Test: Labs: Hemoglobin level, HIV status, CD4 count.
Main Cross Sectional Group (Estimated Enrollment 1932 minus the volume in pilot)Diagnostic Test: TB AI algorithm performance in detecting active TB. Diagnostic Test: TB diagnosis from sputum and urine (Smear microscopy, Xpert MTB RIF/ultra, Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) and mycobacterial culture) Diagnostic Test: Abnormal/Normal AI algorithm to detect abnormal/normal CXRs. Diagnostic Test: Radiologist evaluation of CXRs for active TB, abnormal/normal. Diagnostic Test: Labs: Hemoglobin level, HIV status, CD4 count.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Pilot Group to calibrate the operating points for AI algorithms

    1. Operating point selection for TB AI algorithm and Abnormal/Normal AI algorithm on CXRs for outcomes listed in Main Cross Sectional Group.

    Measured: 2 months

  2. Main Cross Sectional Group

    1. TB AI algorithm sensitivity and specificity in detecting active TB on CXR compared to panel of radiologists

    Measured: 7 months

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Main Cross Sectional Group:

    1. TB AI algorithm sensitivity and specificity in detecting active TB compared to World Health Organisation (WHO) performance guidelines of 90% sensitivity and 70% specificity

    Measured: 7 months

  2. Main Cross Sectional Group

    1. Abnormal/Normal AI algorithm sensitivity and specificity compared to 90% sensitivity and 50% specificity.

    Measured: 7 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted1 Dec 2021
  2. Study start22 Nov 2021
  3. Primary completion30 Sep 2022
  4. Study completion30 Nov 2022

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
2,432 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05139940
Sponsor's protocol ID
Google AI
Status last verified
May 2025
First submitted
18 Nov 2021
Last updated
15 May 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Tuberculosis, run by Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia at 3 sites in Zambia.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 May 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 3 sites in Zambia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Pilot Group to calibrate the operating points for AI algorithms (time frame: 2 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 May 2025.

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