Electrocardiograms in Low-Risk Patients Undergoing an Annual Health Examination.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Clinical guidelines advise against routine electrocardiograms (ECG) in low-risk, asymptomatic patients, but the frequency and impact of such ECGs are unknown.

Objective

To assess the frequency of ECGs following an annual health examination (AHE) with a primary care physician among patients with no known cardiac conditions or risk factors, to explore factors predictive of receiving an ECG in this clinical scenario, and to compare downstream cardiac testing and clinical outcomes in low-risk patients who did and did not receive an ECG after their AHE.

Design, setting, and participants

A population-based retrospective cohort study using administrative health care databases from Ontario, Canada, between 2010/2011 and 2014/2015 to identify low-risk primary care p

SUBMITTER: Bhatia RS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5710571 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature