Preventing overuse of laboratory diagnostics: a case study into diagnosing anaemia in Dutch general practice.

ABSTRACT:

Background

More information is often thought to improve medical decision-making, which may lead to test overuse. This study assesses which out of 15 laboratory tests contribute to diagnosing the underlying cause of anaemia by general practitioners (GPs) and determines a potentially more efficient subset of tests for setting the correct diagnosis.

Methods

Logistic regression was performed to determine the impact of individual tests on the (correct) diagnosis. The statistically optimal test subset for diagnosing a (correct) underlying cause of anaemia by GPs was determined using data from a previous survey including cases of real-world anaemia patients.

Results

Only 9 (60%) of the laboratory tests, and patient age, contributed significantly to the GPs' ability to diagno

SUBMITTER: Kip MMA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7395377 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature