As with hospital referrals, doctors vary enormously in their rates of investigation. GP's are however very discriminating and achieve a high proportion of abnormal results.
If there is much doubt about the diagnosis after taking the history and examining the patient, it is unlikely that investigations will help. Routine tests without a clear clinical indication are of little value. Investigations should aim to answer specific clinical questions when there is doubt as to diagnosis or management.
In general practice routine investigations are even more inappropriate than in hospital, since most patients suffer from non-life-threatening, self-limiting conditions.
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