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Why do GPs perform investigations? the medical and social agendas in arranging back X-rays

Why do GPs perform investigations? the medical and social agendas in arranging back X-rays
Why do GPs perform investigations? the medical and social agendas in arranging back X-rays
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the most important medical and psychosocial reasons GPs report for requesting back X-rays.

METHODS: All GPs in a single health district were mailed a questionnaire and asked to document their reasons for requesting back X-rays.

RESULTS: A total of 166/236 (70%) of GPs responded. There were 445 comments (mean 2.7 per doctor): 319 (72%) were medical indications (mean 1.9 per doctor) and 126 (28%) psychosocial reasons (mean 0.8 per doctor). GPs' medical criteria for requesting back X-rays were mainly in line with current guidelines. The most common psychosocial reasons were patient satisfaction (17%), work related (14%) and reassurance (8%).

CONCLUSION: GPs' reported medical criteria for arranging back X-rays are mainly 'appropriate', but psychosocial reasons-especially patient satisfaction and reassurance-are also likely to be important factors. If psycho-social agendas are important in ordering investigations, then clinical guidelines which discuss only medical criteria may not be effective in reducing 'inappropriate' investigations.
0263-2136
264-265
Little, P.S.
1bf2d1f7-200c-47a5-ab16-fe5a8756a777
Cantrell, E.C.
be69b2f7-3bdd-42d1-94ec-71b9a180bad6
Roberts, L.
0a937943-5246-4877-bd6b-4dcd172b5cd0
Chapman, J.
b47dbd01-ff25-46e5-b579-f1aeed773c47
Langridge, J.
0ea09e72-6d55-4d10-a0a2-6d92fbe826dd
Pickering, R.
4a828314-7ddf-4f96-abed-3407017d4c90
Little, P.S.
1bf2d1f7-200c-47a5-ab16-fe5a8756a777
Cantrell, E.C.
be69b2f7-3bdd-42d1-94ec-71b9a180bad6
Roberts, L.
0a937943-5246-4877-bd6b-4dcd172b5cd0
Chapman, J.
b47dbd01-ff25-46e5-b579-f1aeed773c47
Langridge, J.
0ea09e72-6d55-4d10-a0a2-6d92fbe826dd
Pickering, R.
4a828314-7ddf-4f96-abed-3407017d4c90

Little, P.S., Cantrell, E.C., Roberts, L., Chapman, J., Langridge, J. and Pickering, R. (1998) Why do GPs perform investigations? the medical and social agendas in arranging back X-rays. Family Practice, 15 (3), 264-265. (PMID:9694186)

Record type: Article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the most important medical and psychosocial reasons GPs report for requesting back X-rays.

METHODS: All GPs in a single health district were mailed a questionnaire and asked to document their reasons for requesting back X-rays.

RESULTS: A total of 166/236 (70%) of GPs responded. There were 445 comments (mean 2.7 per doctor): 319 (72%) were medical indications (mean 1.9 per doctor) and 126 (28%) psychosocial reasons (mean 0.8 per doctor). GPs' medical criteria for requesting back X-rays were mainly in line with current guidelines. The most common psychosocial reasons were patient satisfaction (17%), work related (14%) and reassurance (8%).

CONCLUSION: GPs' reported medical criteria for arranging back X-rays are mainly 'appropriate', but psychosocial reasons-especially patient satisfaction and reassurance-are also likely to be important factors. If psycho-social agendas are important in ordering investigations, then clinical guidelines which discuss only medical criteria may not be effective in reducing 'inappropriate' investigations.

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More information

Published date: 1998
Organisations: Faculty of Health Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 350907
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/350907
ISSN: 0263-2136
PURE UUID: 1359fc82-7fc3-4cca-8ae3-c604037b01ee
ORCID for P.S. Little: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3664-1873
ORCID for L. Roberts: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2662-6696

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 10 Apr 2013 12:12
Last modified: 11 Jul 2024 01:37

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Contributors

Author: P.S. Little ORCID iD
Author: E.C. Cantrell
Author: L. Roberts ORCID iD
Author: J. Chapman
Author: J. Langridge
Author: R. Pickering

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