Differences in Diagnostic Approach Between Family Physicians and Other Specialists in Patients with Unintentional Body Weight Loss
Abstract
Background. Unintentional weight loss is a diagnostic dilemma with diverse diagnostic possibilities for physicians.
Objectives. Our study focused on the evaluation of differences in diagnostic approach between family physicians and physicians in other specialties.
Methods. Outpatients who visited National Taiwan University Hospital from January 1996 to December 1996 with unintentional weight loss of 5% or more within 6 months were recruited by a computer search. All data were obtained from a structured medical record audit.
Results. There was no significant difference in the utilization of common diagnostic laboratory tests between the two groups. However, other specialists ordered more carcinoembryonic antigen tests (P < 0.01) and hepatitis B antigen tests (P < 0.05), but fewer upper gastrointestinal tract barium studies (P < 0.05) than family physicians. For patients without a definite final diagnosis, the diagnostic total costs for laboratory tests and imaging studies were lower for family physicians than other specialists (P < 0.01). For patients with biomedical disorders, the diagnostic cost was not significantly different between the two groups. For patients