Survey: Most physicians say colleagues order unnecessary tests and procedures

Seventy-two percent of physicians say the average doctor prescribes an unnecessary test or procedure at least once per week, according to a new survey conducted for the ABIM Foundation. The phone survey was conducted in February and March as part of the Choosing Wisely campaign.

A similar percentage (73%) of respondents say the frequency of unnecessary tests and procedures is a very (29%) or somewhat (44%) serious problem. In their own practices, 47% say patients request an unnecessary test or procedure at least once per week, while 30% say it happens several times per week. The top reasons given for ordering unnecessary tests and procedures are malpractice concerns (52%), just to be safe (36%), and wanting to keep patients happy (23%).

Read the survey report here.