The growing number of Direct To Consumer (DTC) tests available for direct purchase online in Australia purport to empower consumers with choice and convenience of access. The categorisation of clinical utility developed in this study shows the majority of currently available products lack clear benefits [...]
Many of us have done countless rapid antigen tests (RATs) over the course of the pandemic. Testing ourselves at home has become second nature. But there’s also a growing worldwide market in medical tests sold online directly to the public. These are “direct-to-consumer” tests, and [...]
The present study examines the patterns of hospital and emergency department services in conjunction with both pre and post diagnostic periods of CT use, which has not been evaluated to date in adult patients with cancer. The cohort makes use of whole of population data [...]
Guidelines for prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing in Australia recommend that men at average risk of prostate cancer who have been informed of the benefits and harms, and who decide to undergo regular testing, should be offered testing every 2 years from 50 to 69 years. This [...]
Our global medical culture has driven excessive diagnostic testing, overmedicalisation, and overtreatment across many conditions that may harm patients, exhaust healthcare resources, and harm the planet. The authors call upon local, national, and international decision makers to more prominently and openly acknowledge these issues and [...]
Clinical activity accounts for 70–80% of the carbon footprint of healthcare. A critical component of reducing emissions is shifting clinical behaviour towards reducing, avoiding, or replacing carbon-intensive healthcare. The objective of this systematic review was to find, map and assess behaviour change interventions that have [...]
Consistent evidence shows pathology services are overused worldwide and that about one-third of testing is unnecessary. Audit and feedback (AF) is effective for improving care but few trials evaluating AF to reduce pathology test requesting in primary care have been conducted. The aim of this [...]
Limited evidence is available on the cost-effectiveness of diagnostic imaging for back, neck, knee, and shoulder complaints. Decision analytic modelling may be an appropriate method to synthesise evidence from multiple sources, and overcomes issues with trial-based economic evaluations.
Overuse is defined as provision of healthcare which is more likely to result in harm than good, and it is fast becoming a threat to human health and the sustainability of health systems worldwide. Overuse may, but not always, increase the risk of overdiagnosis, which [...]
CTPA use increased from 2005 to 2015 while diagnostic yield amongst ED patients decreased. The PE hospitalization rate also increased, while the outcome of PE mortality remained constant. Although this study cannot prove that overuse occurred, increasing CTPA use with decreasing diagnostic yield suggests an [...]