Health, financial and environmental impacts of unnecessary vitamin D testing: a triple bottom line assessment adapted for healthcare.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To undertake an assessment of the health, financial and environmental impacts of a well-recognised example of low-value care; inappropriate vitamin D testing.

Design

Combination of systematic literature search, analysis of routinely collected healthcare data and environmental analysis.

Setting

Australian healthcare system.

Participants

Population of Australia.

Outcome measures

We took a sustainability approach, measuring the health, financial and environmental impacts of a specific healthcare activity. Unnecessary vitamin D testing rates were estimated from best available published literature; by definition, these provide no gain in health outcomes (in contrast to appropriate/necessary tests). Australian population-based test numbers and health

SUBMITTER: Breth-Petersen M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9472108 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature