 Study Suggests Diagnostic Tests Do Little To Reassure Patients With Low Risk Of Serious IllnessMain Category: Medical Devices / DiagnosticsArticle Date: 25 Feb 2013 JAMA Internal Medicine Study Highlights Alexandra Rolfe, M.B.Ch.B., University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and Christopher Burton, M.D., of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, conducted a review of the available medical literature and meta-analysis to examine the relationship between diagnostic tests and worry about illness, anxiety, symptom persistence and subsequent use of health care resources among patients with a low probability of serious illness before the test. Fourteen randomized controlled trials that included 3,828 patients met the criteria to be included in the study. Three trials showed no overall effect of diagnostic tests on illness worry, two showed no effect on nonspecific anxiety and 10 trials showed no overall long-term effect on symptom persistence, according to the study results. "Diagnostic tests for symptoms with a low risk of serious illness do little to reassure patients, decrease their anxiety or resolve their symptoms, although the tests may reduce further primary care visits," the authors conclude. Original article posted on Medical News Today. Articles not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Medical News Today publishes the latest health news and health videos for consumers and health professionals. It has a searchable archive of over 100,000 health news articles. < back to medical news
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