Analyses restricted to exposures before the onset of first symptoms may thus provide estimates free of indication bias and thus help to determine appropriate exclusion periods to compensate for the unavailability of data about the indication of examinations.
A multivariable analysis which included age, sex, body mass index, smoking, family history of CRC, indication for examination, withdrawal time, and endoscopist characteristics showed that only poor preparation was associated with a reduced ADR.
GHC also maintains databases of mammograms performed at GHC with dates of each mammogram, indications for examination (screening or diagnostic), type of evaluation (standard screening or diagnostic), results, and recommendations.
Variables to be collected include gender, date of birth, origin of the request and reference hospital, priority of the procedure, type of clinician requesting the procedure, date and indication of request, abdominal examination performed, anal inspection examination performed, date of last colonoscopy if applicable, diagnosis and date of diagnosis.
Only 44% of the reported MDS cases had an indication of bone marrow examination.
Lack of vaginal specula and absence of indication for speculum examination were common reasons for not screening patients.
Referrals, indications of the examinations, and corresponding patient files were analysed by a senior radiology specialist.
The referrals and corresponding patient files were analysed by senior radiologists and the indications of the examinations were compared to the referral criteria.
Indications of supplementary examinations found in this study, that high use of one modality does not correspond with low use of an alternative modality for specific organs (locations), support the assumption that overuse exists in high-use areas.
As this study was designed to reflect the conditions of daily routine, patients were included in a consecutive manner, regardless of the indication for the examination.
It is helpful to comment on the clinical context of and indication for the examination and to record the diagnosis and reported clinical stage, e.g. newly diagnosed cancer of cervix, clinically T1b.
