Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1.
Overcoming uncertainty in ordering laboratory diagnostic tests. The percentages of primary care physicians reporting the helpfulness of these tactics as very helpful or extremely helpful and the percentages using these tactics daily or at least once a week are shown. PCP, primary care physician.
- Figure 2.
Overcoming uncertainty in interpreting laboratory test results. The percentages of primary care physicians reporting the usefulness of these tactics as very useful or extremely useful and the percentages using these tactics daily or at least once a week are shown. PCP, primary care physician.
- Figure 3.
Solutions for more effective use of diagnostic laboratory testing. The percentages of primary care physicians endorsing these solutions as very useful or extremely useful and the percentage with these solutions available at their site. CPOE, computerized physician order entry.
Tables
Characteristics Respondents Medical specialty† Internal medicine 565 (45.5) Family practice 648 (52.1) Other 84 (6.8) Sex Male 756 (62.1) Female 461 (37.9) Practice ownership Physician or group of physicians 558 (45.1) Hospital 240 (19.4) Healthcare organization larger than 1 hospital 190 (15.4) Academic institution 129 (10.4) Other 119 (9.6) Mean age, years (range) 53.0 (27–83) Mean years in practice (range) 20.8 (1–56) - Table 2. Challenges Reported by Primary Care Physician Respondents When Ordering Laboratory Diagnostic Tests and Using Test Results
Challenges Respondents Reporting Factor is Very or Extremely Problematic (%) Ordering diagnostic tests Cost factors Patient costs 55 Insurance policies limit testing 48 Insurance policies mandate use of a specific lab 40 Lack of comparative cost information 39 Ordering mechanisms Different test names 20 Tests not available except in a panel 20 Different tests in test panels 18 Using diagnostic tests Receiving results Results not received in a timely manner 34 Previous results are not easily available 32 Errors in results are suspected 25 Results are inconsistent with patient's symptoms 24 Report format Lab-to-lab variation in normal range 22 Lab-to-lab variation in report formats 21 Lab report format is difficult to understand 18 Not enough information in lab report 16
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