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Low‐value Prostate Cancer Screening: Decision Fatigue in Outpatient Providers’ PSA Testing Practices
Author(s) -
Hunt T.C.,
Ambrose J.P.,
Haaland B.,
Hanson H.A.,
O'Neil B.B.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
health services research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.706
H-Index - 121
eISSN - 1475-6773
pISSN - 0017-9124
DOI - 10.1111/1475-6773.13463
Subject(s) - medicine , prostate cancer , population , test (biology) , logistic regression , cancer , paleontology , environmental health , biology
Research Objective Low‐value prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) testing is responsible for substantial waste and potential harm to patients, yet it accounts for nearly half of prostate cancer (PCa) screening. Decision fatigue, the progressive decline in consistency and quality of choices with repetitive decision making, has been observed in breast and colorectal cancer care. Our aim was to determine whether low‐value PSA testing patterns by outpatient providers are consistent with decision fatigue. Study Design Outpatient encounters across various specialties were stratified by clinical guidelines as whether a PSA test order would be appropriate or low value. The primary endpoint was whether a PSA test was ordered. Logistic generalized estimating equations were used to analyze PSA test likelihood by appropriateness, with spline functions representing trends by hour. Models were adjusted for patient‐, provider‐, and appointment‐level factors and stratified by specialty. Population Studied Men without PCa at a large academic health system from July 2011 to June 2018 were identified. In total, 1,761,815 outpatient visits were completed by this cohort of men during the specified time period. Principal Findings Of these 1,761,815 outpatient encounters, a PSA test was ordered during 3.7% when it would be considered appropriate and 1.8% when it was low value. The overall likelihood of an encounter resulting in any PSA test was greatest at 8:00am, tapering off by 12:00pm (OR = 0.66; 0.58–0.75) and persisting at this nadir through 4:00pm (OR = 0.65; 0.56–0.77). Testing patterns differed between specialties, with nonurologists exhibiting a proportionately greater decline in the likelihood of ordering an appropriate test as the day progressed. Urologists showed a different pattern, with appropriate decisions relatively preserved throughout the day even as inappropriate testing declined in the middle of the day. Conclusions In a framework where PSA testing decisions are considered complex and the default position is to not test, PSA testing among nonurologists is consistent with decision fatigue. That is, testing is most likely early in the day when complex decisions are easiest. The pattern of PSA testing among urologists is different and may not be explained by decision fatigue. This may be due to differences in the default position for testing or greater PSA testing expertise, which lightens the cognitive load of decision making. Implications for Policy or Practice Future efforts to improve value and reduce waste in PSA testing might employ clinical decision support, which has been shown to be an effective intervention in the setting of decision fatigue. Interventions should ideally be tailored to each specialty’s unique needs. Primary Funding Source National Institutes of Health.