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.
264-265
Little, P.S.
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Cantrell, E.C.
be69b2f7-3bdd-42d1-94ec-71b9a180bad6
Roberts, L.
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Chapman, J.
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Langridge, J.
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Pickering, R.
4a828314-7ddf-4f96-abed-3407017d4c90
1998
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), .
(PMID:9694186)
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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Published date: 1998
Organisations:
Faculty of Health Sciences
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Local EPrints ID: 350907
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/350907
ISSN: 0263-2136
PURE UUID: 1359fc82-7fc3-4cca-8ae3-c604037b01ee
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Date deposited: 10 Apr 2013 12:12
Last modified: 08 Jan 2022 02:44
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Author:
E.C. Cantrell
Author:
J. Chapman
Author:
J. Langridge
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