FACTORS PREDICTING DIFFERENCES AMONG GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS IN TEST ORDERING BEHAVIOR AND IN THE RESPONSE TO FEEDBACK ON TEST REQUESTS

Background. In a population of 85 general practitioners diagnostic tes t ordering behaviour has been changed by means of repeated individual feedback provided since 1985. Objectives. We studied practitioner and practice characteristics which may explain differences in test orderin g behaviour and in the extent to which general practitioners tend to c hange their behaviour according to the feedback. Method. In order to t race such variables, 75 general practitioners were interviewed. In our study request data from individual general practitioners were related to data from several questionnaires. Results. We found no practice ch aracteristics which were of influence on the number of test requests b y the general practitioner. Explanatory practitioner characteristics f or this were found to be years of experience and working hours per wee k in practice. Conclusions. More years of experience as a general prac titioner and a shorter duration of consultations correlated with a bet ter response to advice given in the feedback.