Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30210103›Full record

Trial reportInternal medicine (Tokyo, Japan)2019

The Effectiveness of Cost Reduction with Charge Displays on Test Ordering under the Health Insurance System in Japan: A Study Using Paper-based Simulated Cases for Residents and Clinical Fellows.

Yusuke Hirota, Shingo Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Ohira, Kiyoshi Shikino, Masatomi Ikusaka

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
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

5 authors.

Yusuke HirotaDepartment of General Medicine, Chiba University Hospital, Japan.
Shingo SuzukiDepartment of General Medicine, Chiba University Hospital, Japan.
Yoshiyuki OhiraDepartment of General Medicine, Chiba University Hospital, Japan.
Kiyoshi ShikinoDepartment of General Medicine, Chiba University Hospital, Japan.
Masatomi IkusakaDepartment of General Medicine, Chiba University Hospital, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective To determine whether or not displaying the cost of tests can help reduce charges on test ordering in Japan. Methods This study was conducted under the setting of a simulated first visit of an outpatient for general internal medicine in a secondary medical institution in Japan. We randomly assigned 27 residents and clinical fellows to Team A or B. The first half, without charges displayed on the ordering system, was designated the "non-display group," and the participants of Team A selected tests for each paper-based simulated case (Q1-Q14), while the participants of Team B selected tests for Q15-Q28. The second half, which had charges displayed, was designated the "display group," and the participants of Team A selected tests for Q15-Q28, while the participants of Team B selected tests for Q1-Q14. The main outcome measure was the difference in the cost of tests per paper-based simulated case between the non-display and display groups. Results The median (interquartile range) cost of tests per paper-based simulated case was 12,255 yen (5,040-23,695 yen) in the non-display group versus 9,425 yen (2,320-21,700 yen) in the display group, showing a decrease of 2,830 yen with charges being displayed (p=0.002). Conclusion Displaying the charges when ordering tests in paper-based simulated cases resulted in cost reduction. The adoption of this intervention may reduce health insurance costs under the health insurance system in Japan, which has features such as universal health coverage and universal access to care.

Indexed as

AdultCost SavingsDiagnostic Tests, RoutineFemaleHealth Care CostsHumansInsurance, HealthInternship and ResidencyJapanMaleMiddle AgedOutpatient Clinics, HospitalPhysiciansPractice Patterns, Physicians'Unnecessary Procedurescharge displayscost reductionhealth insurance systemuniversal access to careuniversal health coverage

Identifiers

PMID30210103
PMCPMC6378163

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.