Appropriateness guidelines are established in order to prevent overuse or underuse of certain procedures. Researchers analyzed 39 studies on appropriateness criteria that met their study requirements.
The researchers’ analysis revealed that most studies on appropriateness criteria were more than five years old. Underuse has been only studied for coronary artery bypass graft surgery, though overuse has been more broadly studied for carotid endarterectomy, coronary artery bypass graft, upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy and hysterectomy.
Notably, current appropriateness criteria cover only 10 of the 25 most common inpatient procedures and six of the 15 most prevalent ambulatory procedures in the United States.
Related Articles on Clinical Appropriateness:
Study: Many Nurses, Physicians Believe ICU Patients Receive Inappropriate Care
Measuring Surgical Outcomes: Are Surgical Objectives Important Enough to Document?
Radiologists Urge Referring Physicians to Use Updated Appropriateness Criteria
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