Decisions to withhold diagnostic investigations in nursing home patients with a clinical suspicion of venous thromboembolism.

ABSTRACT:

Background

This study aimed to gather insights in physicians' considerations for decisions to either refer for- or to withhold additional diagnostic investigations in nursing home patients with a suspicion of venous thromboembolism.

Methods

Our study was nested in an observational study on diagnostic strategies for suspected venous thromboembolism in nursing home patients. Patient characteristics, bleeding-complications and mortality were related to the decision to withhold investigations. For a better understanding of the physicians' decisions, 21 individual face-to-face in-depth interviews were performed and analysed using the grounded theory approach.

Results

Referal for additional diagnostic investigations was forgone in 126/322 (39.1%) patients with an indication

SUBMITTER: Schouten HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3948630 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature