Diagnostic imaging ordering practices: physician perspectives and implications for decision support.

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Health Services Research
• Clinical Decision Making

Background:

• Referring physicians' diagnostic imaging (DI) ordering practices are complex.
• Inappropriate DI ordering contributes to increased healthcare costs and potential patient harm.
• Understanding physician information-seeking behaviors is crucial for improving DI utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how non-radiologist physicians order diagnostic imaging services.
• To identify methods for reducing inappropriate diagnostic imaging orders.
• To inform the development of decision support tools for DI ordering.

Main Methods:

• Conducted telephone interviews with general practitioners and specialists.
• Analyzed interview data using grounded theory methodology.
• Identified themes related to appropriate and inappropriate DI ordering practices.

Main Results:

• Physicians primarily consult other physicians or literature for information support.
• Contributing factors and solutions for inappropriate DI ordering were discussed.
• Clinical decision support systems were identified as a potential solution.

Conclusions:

• Socio-technical factors are critical for developing interventions to mitigate inappropriate DI ordering.
• More appropriate DI ordering can enhance patient safety.
• Optimizing DI use ensures responsible management of limited healthcare resources.