Physicians’ Electronic Access to Test Results Associated with Increased Test Ordering

Office-based physicians with electronic access to imaging or laboratory test results were found to order more tests than other physicians, according to a study published in the March 2012 Health Affairs. Researchers analyzed the records of 28,741 patient visits to a nationally representative sample of 1,187 office-based physicians in 2008. Physicians’ electronic access to imaging results (sometimes, but not necessarily, using electronic health records EHRs) was associated with a 40% to 70% increased likelihood of an imaging test being ordered. Similarly, the electronic availability of blood test results was associated with ordering additional blood tests.