Healthcare expenses are increasing, as is the utilization of laboratory resources. Despite
this, between 20% and 40% of requested tests are deemed inappropriate. Improper use of …

The approach to identifying evidence for inclusion in realist reviews differs from that used in
'traditional'systematic reviews. Guidance suggests that realist reviews should be inclusive of …

Aims Heart failure (HF) is a malignant condition with poor outcomes and is often diagnosed
on emergency hospital admission. Natriuretic peptide (NP) testing in primary care is …

Abstract Aims and Objectives Studies in adult medicine have shown that physicians base
testing decisions on the patient's clinical condition but also consider other factors, including …

Background Diagnostics are increasingly shifting to patients' home environment, facilitated
by new digital technologies. Digital diagnostics (diagnostic services enabled by digital …

Ensure women and girls of childbearing age with bipolar disorder are offered pre-
conception counselling by a specialist to discuss risk and benefits of ongoing use of …

Background Digital triage tools for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing can potentially
be used as a substitute for the triage that general practitioners (GPs) perform to lower their …

Background: Diagnostic testing is prevalent among children with persistent non-specific
symptoms (PNS), and both undertesting and overtesting have negative consequences for …

Numerous drivers push specialist diagnostic approaches down to primary care ('diagnostic
downshift'), intuitively welcomed by clinicians and patients. However, primary care's different …

Inflammatory markers are non-specific blood tests including C-reactive protein (CRP),
erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and plasma viscosity (PV). These tests are commonly …