Promoting Patient-Centered Counseling to Reduce Inappropriate Diagnostic Tests
Unnecessary Procedures, Low Back Pain, Osteoporosis
About this trial
This is an interventional health services research trial for Unnecessary Procedures
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Resident physician in family medicine or internal medicine who deliver primary care at one of two hospital-based primary care clinics at the University of California, Davis Medical Center Sacramento
Exclusion Criteria:
- Anticipated graduation in less than one year from enrollment.
Sites / Locations
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Active Comparator
Standardized Patient Instructor Intervention
Control
Primary care physicians (PCPs) randomized to intervention will receive over a three month run-in period two visits by standardized patient instructors portraying: 1) a 48 year-old patient with low back pain for less than six-weeks and no "red flags" for immediate spinal imaging; and 2) a 50 year-old recently menopausal woman establishing care with concerns about osteoporosis risk.
In the latter half of visits with control PCPs, standardized patient instructors (SPIs) will share information regarding low back pain or bone health that are unrelated to diagnostic testing, but will not discuss patient-centered techniques or conduct training. The total duration of the control "information sharing" will be about one-third the SPI intervention to enhance patient-centeredness.