Reflecting on the ethical implications of audit and feedback to reduce overuse of pathology tests among high-requesting general practitioners
Abstract
In their Article in The Lancet Primary Care, Denise A O’Connor and colleagues1 address the overuse of pathology tests in general practice, measuring the impact of feedback letters on the requesting behaviour of general practitioners who were in the top 10% of requestors for at least two of the individual pathology test combinations in Australia. The Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing supplied the Medicare claims data, general practitioner contact details, and funding, with letters sent by Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, which probably “introduced a strong authority cue”.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Healthcare cost
quality
practices
Clinical Laboratory Practices and Quality Control
Innovations in Medical Education
Publication details
- Journal / source
- The Lancet Primary Care
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 100181–100181
- Publication date
- 1 July 2026
- Language
- EN