Effect of feedback on test ordering behaviour of general practitioners

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Diagnostic Test Utilization
• General Practice

Background:

• General practitioners (GPs) play a crucial role in diagnostic test ordering.
• Understanding factors influencing GP test ordering behavior is essential for optimizing healthcare resource allocation.
• The impact of feedback on diagnostic test requests by GPs has not been extensively studied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of providing feedback on diagnostic test requests to general practitioners.
• To assess the influence of feedback on the test ordering behavior of GPs in the Netherlands.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study was conducted involving two diagnostic centers in the Netherlands.
• One center in Maastricht provided feedback on test requests, while another (laboratory A) did not.
• The study compared test request numbers from 85 GPs in Maastricht with those from GPs served by laboratory A, analyzing both discussed and non-discussed tests.

Main Results:

• Diagnostic test requests decreased at the feedback-providing center in Maastricht following the introduction of feedback.
• Conversely, test requests showed a persistent increase at the non-feedback laboratory A.
• Tests specifically discussed in the feedback showed the most significant decrease (up to 40%), but even non-discussed tests saw a reduction (up to 27%).

Conclusions:

• Feedback on diagnostic requests can strongly influence the ordering behavior of general practitioners.
• The observed effects of feedback on test ordering behavior were still evident four years after its implementation.
• This suggests that feedback mechanisms are a valuable tool for managing diagnostic test utilization in primary care.