Point-of-care Capillary HbA1c Testing for Type 2 Diabetes Screening Among At-risk Individuals in Rural Dali, China

July 25, 2026 updated by: William Chi Wai Wong, The University of Hong Kong

Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Point-of-care Capillary HbA1c Testing for Type 2 Diabetes Screening Among At-risk Individuals in Rural Dali, Yunnan, China: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

This project aims to compare Point-of-care capillary HbA1c (POC-cHbA1c) testing and fingerstick random blood glucose (RBG) testing in terms of type 2 diabetes detection rate and cost-effectiveness, in order to optimise current screening strategies for rural populations at high risk of diabetes in rural Dali, China, and to improve treatment adherence and self-management among people with diabetes.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This is a cluster randomised controlled trial conducted in rural Dali, Yunnan, China, to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of point-of-care capillary HbA1c testing (POC-cHbA1c) for screening type 2 diabetes among high-risk individuals. The study will involve six township health centres in rural Dali. The intervention group will receive immediate on-site POC-cHbA1c testing, while the control group will undergo fingerstick RBG testing, with both groups having confirmatory vHbA1c testing for validation. Primary outcome is the detection rates of T2DM, while secondary outcomes include the detection rate of pre-diabetes, sensitivity, specificity, and economic evaluations such as the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). The findings are intended to inform optimized screening strategies in rural settings, potentially leading to earlier diagnosis, better treatment adherence, and improved health outcomes in rural populations at high risk of diabetes.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
720

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Levon Yongle Zhan, PhD
  • Phone Number: 852-25185656
  • Email: levon@hku.hk

Study Locations

  • China
    • Yunnan
      • Dali, Yunnan, China, 671000
        • The First People's Hospital of Dali
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18 years or above;
  • Permanent residents of Dali City who have lived locally for at least six consecutive months;
  • Registered as rural residents;
  • No known history of diabetes;
  • Meet at least one of the high-risk criteria for T2DM specified in the Chinese Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes issued by the Chinese Diabetes Society;
  • Able to understand the study information and provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Known history of T2DM or currently receiving glucose-lowering treatment;
  • HbA1c testing with a clear result within the past three months, or completion of standardised diabetes screening within the past six months;
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding at the time of recruitment;
  • Active thyroid disease or other active endocrine disorders at recruitment, such as Cushing's syndrome or acromegaly;
  • Known haemoglobinopathy, severe anaemia, recent acute blood loss, or history of blood transfusion or blood donation within the past three months;
  • Currently receiving treatment that may substantially affect interpretation of HbA1c, such as erythropoietin therapy or recent high-dose iron therapy.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Screening
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Intervention group
POC-cHbA1c + vHbA1c
Diagnostic test: POC-cHbA1c
Research staff will use quality-certified POC HbA1c devices to perform finger-prick capillary HbA1c testing for participants. Testing will be completed on site and results will be provided immediately.
Active Comparator: Control group
Fingerstick RBG + vHbA1c
Diagnostic test: Fingerstick RBG
Research staff will use standardised glucometers and test strips to measure fingerstick random blood glucose. Test results will be provided on site.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Detection rate of T2DM
Time Frame: 1 week
1 week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Detection rate of pre-diabetes
Time Frame: 1 week
1 week
Sensitivity and specificity
Time Frame: 1 week
1 week
Number needed to screen
Time Frame: 1 week
1 week
Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio
Time Frame: 3 months and 6 months
3 months and 6 months

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Score of diabetes self-management
Time Frame: 3 months and 6 months
The level of diabetes self-managment will be calculated as a score using the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities - 6 items (SDSCA-6).
3 months and 6 months
Venous HbA1c levels
Time Frame: 3 months and 6 months
3 months and 6 months
Treatment-related adverse event
Time Frame: 3 months and 6 months
Hypoglycaemia, anxiety and depression, etc.
3 months and 6 months
Level of satisfaction with the screening method
Time Frame: 3 months and 6 months
The level of satisfaction with the screening method will be evaluated using a 5-point Likert item (very disappointed, disappointed, neutral, satisfied, very satisfied).
3 months and 6 months
Proportion of treatment adherence
Time Frame: 3 months and 6 months
Treatment adherence will be measured by the Medication Adherence Report Scale - 5 items, MARS-5
3 months and 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
The University of Hong Kong

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: William Chi Wai Wong, MD, The University of Hong Kong

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 28, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
July 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 17, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
July 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 25, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • SYYLL-2026021

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings