Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26934626›Full record

ArticleThe Permanente journal2016

Low Back Imaging When Not Indicated: A Descriptive Cross-System Analysis.

Rachel Gold, Elizabeth Esterberg, Celine Hollombe, Jill Arkind, Patricia A Vakarcs, Huong Tran, Tim Burdick, Jennifer E Devoe, Michael A Horberg

Abstract readEvaluation Study
In one paragraph

Article in The Permanente journal, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Review
  3. Low-value pharmaceutical care among Dutch GPs: a retrospective cohort study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2022
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Rachel GoldInvestigator in the Science Program at the Center for Health Research and an Investigator for the Practice-Based Research Network for OCHIN, Inc, in Portland, OR. rachel.gold@kpchr.org.
Elizabeth EsterbergFormer Research Analyst in the Science Program at the Center for Health Research in Portland, OR. elizabeth.esterberg@kp.org.
Celine HollombeProject Manager in the Science Program at the Center for Health Research in Portland, OR. celine.b.hollombe@kpchr.org.
Jill ArkindResearch Associate for OCHIN, Inc, in Portland, OR. arkindj@ochin.org.
Patricia A VakarcsResearch Analyst for OCHIN, Inc, in Portland, OR. vakarcst@ochin.org.
Huong TranResearch Analyst for Utility of Care Data Analysis for the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan in Oakland, CA. marie.h.tran@kp.org.
Tim BurdickChief Research Officer for the Practice-Based Research Network for OCHIN, Inc, in Portland, OR. burdickt@ochin.org.
Jennifer E DevoeChief Clinical Research Informatics Officer for OCHIN, Inc, and an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, OR. devoej@ohsu.edu.
Michael A HorbergExecutive Director of Research and Community Benefit for the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Research Institute in Rockville, MD. michael.horberg@kp.org.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextGuideline-discordant imaging to evaluate incident low back pain is common.

objectiveWe compared rates of guideline-discordant imaging in patients with low back pain in two care delivery systems with differing abilities to track care through an electronic health record (EHR), and in their patients' insurance status, to measure the association between these factors and rates of ordered low back imaging.

designWe used data from two Kaiser Permanente (KP) Regions and from OCHIN, a community health center network. We extracted data on imaging performed after index visits for low back pain from June 1, 2011, to May 31, 2012, in these systems. Adjusted logistic regression measured associations between system-level factors and imaging rates.

main outcome measuresImaging rates for incident low back pain using 2 national quality metrics: Clinical Quality Measure 0052, a measure for assessing Meaningful Use of EHRs, and the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set measure "Use of Imaging Studies for Low Back Pain."

resultsAmong 19,503 KP patients and 2694 OCHIN patients with incident low back pain, ordered imaging was higher among men and whites but did not differ across health care systems. OCHIN's publicly insured patients had higher rates of imaging compared with those with private or no insurance.

conclusionRates of ordered imaging to evaluate incident low back pain among uninsured OCHIN patients were lower than in KP overall; among insured OCHIN patients, rates were higher than in KP overall. Research is needed to establish causality and develop interventions.

Indexed as

Electronic Health RecordsUnnecessary ProceduresAdolescentAdultDelivery of Health CareDiagnostic ImagingFemaleHumansIncidenceInsurance CoverageLow Back PainMaleMiddle AgedOutcome Assessment, Health CareYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID26934626
PMCPMC4867822

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.