Adjusted Odds Ratios and Significant Intervention-by-Female-Sex Interaction Terms for the Association Between Diagnostic Interventions and Disease Diagnosis, Stratified by Reason for Encounter
| OR* (95% CI) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headache (n = 3,411) | Dizziness (n = 2,709) | Heart Pain (n = 660) | (Lower) Back Pain (n = 5,962) | |
| Physical examination | 2.07 (1.74-2.47) | 2.12 (1.68-2.67) | 0.98 (0.59-1.64) | 1.35 (1.11-1.63)† |
| Laboratory diagnostics | 0.59 (0.47-0.74) | 0.30 (0.25-0.37) | 0.94 (0.56-1.58) | 1.49 (1.18-1.88) |
| Imaging | 0.67 (0.37-1.22) | 0.43 (0.14-1.36) | 0.51 (0.12-2.23) | 0.87 (0.70-1.07)† |
| Specialist referral | 0.77 (0.60-0.98) | 1.11 (0.84-1.46) | 1.14 (0.73-1.77)† | 2.78 (2.18-3.55)† |
| OR* (95% CI) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nausea (n = 1,222) | Muscle Pain (n = 554) | Shortness of Breath (n = 3,593) | Chills (n = 132) | |
| Physical examination | 1.93 (1.46-2.56) | 1.19 (0.71-2.01) | 2.58 (2.02-3.31) | 3.35 (1.23-9.11) |
| Laboratory diagnostics | 0.49 (0.35-0.68) | 0.71 (0.41-1.23) | 0.78 (0.65-0.92) | 0.81 (0.29-2.28) |
| Imaging | 0.57 (0.26-1.21) | 0.30 (0.06-1.39) | 0.49 (0.38-0.64) | 0.69 (0.02-19.9) |
| Specialist referral | 1.25 (0.82-1.90) | 0.66 (0.27-1.59) | 1.07 (0.87-1.31) | 0.57 (0.19-1.74) |
| OR* (95% CI) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tingling in Fingers, Feet, and/or Toes (n = 609) | Swallowing/Throat Symptoms (n = 4,961) | Weakness/General Tiredness (n = 5,608) | Arm and/or Leg Symptoms (n = 4,847) | |
| Physical examination | 1.16 (0.72-1.87) | 5.42 (4.56-6.44) | 2.57 (2.14-3.09) | 1.70 (1.40-2.06) |
| Laboratory diagnostics | 0.40 (0.25-0.64)† | 0.97 (0.80-1.18) | 0.20 (0.18-0.24)† | 0.51 (0.41-0.63)† |
| Imaging | 0.47 (0.11-2.06) | 0.40 (0.23-0.72) | 1.62 (1.14-2.32) | 1.11 (0.93-1.32) |
| Specialist referral | 1.72 (1.05-2.81) | 0.64 (0.51-0.81) | 1.25 (0.99-1.58) | 1.86 (1.55-2.23)† |
Abbreviations: EoC, episode of care; OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.
↵* Adjusted for the patients' age at diagnosis, comorbidities, number of contacts per EoC, and sex. †Significant intervention-by-female-sex interaction term.