Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded the University of Pittsburgh $633,470 under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) on July 9, 2026, for a five-year project extending through June 30, 2031. This project develops and evaluates enhanced primary care telemedicine capabilities for assessing acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in young children, with particular emphasis on reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescribing. The initiative addresses the clinical challenge of diagnosing conditions requiring antibiotics—such as acute otitis media (AOM), acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS), and streptococcal pharyngitis—versus viral diagnoses where antibiotics are not indicated, through integration of commercially available home tele-otoscopes that enable primary care providers to conduct virtual examination of tympanic membranes during telemedicine visits.

By combining timely telemedicine access with high-quality diagnostic capability, the project aims to advance dual public health and patient care objectives: reducing the estimated one-third to one-half of unnecessary antibiotics currently prescribed for ARTIs in young children (thereby mitigating antibiotic resistance and healthcare costs) while simultaneously meeting caregiver demand for prompt, same-day care outside traditional in-person pediatric office settings. The research leverages prior evidence demonstrating lower antibiotic prescribing rates in primary care telemedicine compared to non-pediatric urgent care and emergency department settings.