Study: Patient History, Exam, Basic Tests Trump Imaging for Correct Diagnoses

A study published in Archives of Internal Medicine found that imaging tests helped physicians make a diagnosis in only one in three cases, according to a Reuters report.

The researchers studied patients who presented at an emergency room and were later admitted to the hospital. The patients were examined separately by a resident and a senior physician.

Both physicians diagnosed the patient correctly 80-85 percent of the time, and patient history or patient history and a physical exam were most important to a physician's correct diagnosis in approximately 60 percent of the cases. The addition of basic tests to patient history and exam made these contributing factors the basis of more than 90 percent of correct diagnoses.

For the approximately one in six patients who had extra testing, the imaging results helped to make a diagnosis only about one-third of the time.

Read the Reuters report on patient diagnoses.

Related Articles on Hospital Imaging:

Study: Increase of CT Scans in ED Associated With Decrease in Hospitalizations
Stress MRI in ED Can Lower Costs Without Damaging Outcomes

Contrast Agent Could Help Detect Infections Through Imaging


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