Health Services Research
5 November 2024
Abstract
Objectives: To examine heterogeneity in physician batch ordering practices and measure the associations between a physician's tendency to batch order imaging tests on patient outcomes and resource utilization.
Study Setting and Design: In this retrospective study, we used comprehensive EMR data from patients who visited the Mayo Clinic of Arizona Emergency Department (ED) between October 6, 2018 and December 31, 2019. Primary outcomes are patient length of stay (LOS) in the ED, number of diagnostic imaging tests ordered during a patient encounter, and patients' return with admission to the ED within 72?h. The association between outcomes and physician batch tendency was measured using a multivariable linear regression controlling for various covariates.
Data Sources and Analytic Sample: The Mayo Clinic of Arizona Emergency Department recorded approximately 50,836 visits, all randomly assigned to physicians during the study period. After excluding rare complaints, we were left with an analytical sample of 43,299 patient encounters.
Principal Findings: Findings show that having a physician with a batch tendency 1 standard deviation (SD) greater than the average physician was associated with a 4.5% increase in ED LOS (p?
Citation
Jameson, Jacob C., Soroush Saghafian, Robert S. Huckman, and Nicole Hodgson. "Variation in batch ordering of imaging tests in the emergency department and the impact on care delivery." Health Services Research (5 November 2024).