Table 2.
Adjusted Utilization Rates per 1,000 Patients and Inter- and Intraphysician Variation Expressed as Coefficient of Variation (CV)
| Utilization Rate, Mean (SD) | Interphysician CV, % (95% CI) | Intraphysician CV, % (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imaging | |||
| Chest radiography | 116.5 (66.2) | 56.8 (51.1-64.0) | 18.8 (16.3-24.1) |
| Computed tomography | 12.7 (11.0) | 86.7 (76.1-101.0) | 24.7 (21.0-28.4) |
| Magnetic resonance imaging | 14.3 (9.3) | 65.2 (58.2-74.0) | 23.2 (21.1-25.4) |
| Bone scintigraphy | 20.1 (10.5) | 52.1 (47.0-58.4) | 16.6 (14.7-18.4) |
| Cardiac testing | 55.5 (35.8) | 64.4 (57.6-73.1) | 27.3 (25.4-29.2) |
| Specialist visit | |||
| Neurology | 30.6 (19.4) | 63.3 (56.6-71.7) | 20.4 (18.3-22.5) |
| Rheumatology | 13.3 (11.9) | 88.9 (77.9-103.4) | 22.1 (19.7-24.6) |
| Pulmonary | 3.6 (4.8) | 135.7 (114.1-167.4) | 32.5 (29.1-35.9) |
| Laboratory tests | |||
| Carcinoembryonic antigen | 29.4 (22.4) | 76.4 (67.7-87.7) | 16.3 (13.8-18.9) |
| Hemoglobin | 1,146.8 (549.5) | 48.0 (43.3-53.6) | 14.0 (12.4-15.5) |
| Prostate-specific antigen | 62.1 (55.1) | 88.6 (77.7-103.0) | 20.9 (18.4-23.3) |
| Thyroid-stimulating hormone | 416.4 (219.6) | 52.8 (47.6-59.2) | 16.6 (14.9-18.4) |
| Vitamin B12 | 150.7 (119.2) | 79.2 (70.0-91.6) | 37.4 (35.3-39.5) |
| Vitamin D | 34.0 (31.4) | 92.6 (80.9-108.1) | 81.0 (77.5-84.5) |
Notes: Rate = (annual utilizations/patient census) × 1,000 patients.
