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Variation in Psychometric Testing in General Practice - A Nationwide Cohort Study.
Henrik Schou Pedersen1,2, Kaj Sparle Christensen1,2, Anders Prior1,2
1Research Unit for General Practice, Aarhus, Denmark.
Clinical Epidemiology
|March 30, 2023
Summary
Psychometric test use in Danish general practice varies significantly. High use is linked to specific drug prescriptions, while low use is associated with anxiolytics, impacting patient treatment.
Area of Science:
- General Practice
- Psychometrics
- Mental Health Treatment
Background:
- General practice is crucial for diagnosing and treating mental disorders.
- Psychometric tests can aid in diagnosing conditions like dementia, anxiety, and depression.
- The utilization and impact of psychometric tests in general practice remain underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the use of psychometric tests in Danish general practice.
- To determine if variations in psychometric test use correlate with patient treatment and suicide rates.
Main Methods:
- Nationwide cohort study using registry data from Danish general practice (2007-2018).
- Poisson regression models adjusted for demographic and temporal factors to identify predictors of test use.
- Standardized utilization rates calculated for all general practices.
Main Results:
- Over 2.7 million psychometric tests were administered, showing significant inter-practice variation.
- High psychometric test use correlated with increased prescriptions for antidementia drugs and first-time antidepressants.
- Low test use was associated with higher anxiolytic prescriptions, while high use was observed in females and those with comorbidities.
Conclusions:
- Psychometric test utilization in general practice is inconsistent and linked to specific patient demographics and treatment patterns.
- Variations in test use are associated with talk therapy, anxiolytics, antidementia drugs, and antidepressants.
- No association was found between general practice psychometric test rates and other treatment outcomes.
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