Characteristics of the imaging radiation tests according to their appropriateness
| Variables | All imaging tests | Appropriate | Inappropriate according to the guidelines | Inappropriate due to repetition | Not adequately justified | Not included in the guidelines | P value* |
| Total, n (%) | 2022 (100) | 967 (47.8) | 634 (31.4) | 94 (4.6) | 169 (8.4) | 158 (7.8) | |
| Gender | |||||||
| Male | 873 (43.2) | 440 (50.4) | 248 (28.4) | 40 (4.6) | 63 (7.2) | 82 (9.4) | 0.006 |
| Female | 1149 (56.8) | 527 (45.9) | 386 (33.6) | 54 (4.7) | 106 (9.2) | 76 (6.6) | |
| Age | |||||||
| ≤47 | 519 (25.7) | 232 (44.7) | 205 (39.5) | 9 (1.7) | 42 (8.1) | 31 (6.0) | <0.001 |
| >47 to ≤63 | 513 (25.4) | 220 (42.9) | 182 (35.5) | 28 (5.5) | 37 (7.2) | 46 (9.0) | |
| >63 to ≤75 | 508 (25.1) | 254 (50.0) | 134 (26.4) | 24 (4.7) | 41 (8.1) | 55 (10.8) | |
| >75 | 481 (23.8) | 261 (54.3) | 112 (23.3) | 33 (6.9) | 49 (10.2) | 26 (5.4) | |
| Health department† | |||||||
| HD1 | 1005 (49.7) | 536 (53.3) | 288 (28.7) | 35 (3.5) | 35 (3.5) | 111 (11.0) | <0.001 |
| HD2 | 1017 (50.3) | 431 (42.4) | 346 (34.0) | 59 (5.8) | 134 (13.2) | 47 (4.6) | |
| Patient setting | |||||||
| Outpatient | 1221 (60.4) | 567 (46.4) | 412 (33.7) | 41 (3.4) | 74 (6.1) | 127 (10.4) | <0.001 |
| Emergency room | 546 (27.0) | 248 (45.4) | 197 (36.1) | 19 (3.5) | 78 (14.3) | 4 (0.7) | |
| Inpatient | 255 (12.6) | 152 (59.6) | 25 (9.8) | 34 (13.3) | 17 (6.7) | 27 (10.6) | |
| Type of department | |||||||
| Clinical specialties | 713 (35.3) | 385 (54) | 135 (18.9) | 49 (6.9) | 53 (7.4) | 91 (12.8) | <0.001 |
| Surgical specialties | 605 (29.9) | 255 (42.1) | 240 (39.7) | 24 (4.0) | 32 (5.3) | 54 (8.9) | |
| Central services | 506 (25) | 227 (44.9) | 179 (35.4) | 16 (3.2) | 76 (15.0) | 8 (1.6) | |
| General practice | 198 (9.8) | 100 (50.5) | 80 (40.4) | 5 (2.5) | 8 (4.0) | 5 (2.5) | |
| Indication (according to category in the International Diseases Classification) | |||||||
| Neoplasm | 476 (23.5) | 258 (54.0) | 104 (21.8) | 25 (5.2) | 17 (3.6) | 74 (15.5) | |
| Musculoskeletal system | 446 (22.1) | 197 (44.1) | 148 (33.1) | 18 (4.0) | 37 (8.3) | 47 (10.5) | |
| Respiratory system | 300 (14.8) | 213 (70.8) | 46 (15.3) | 22 (7.3) | 13 (4.3) | 7 (2.3) | |
| Digestive system | 214 (10.6) | 69 (32.2) | 112 (52.3) | 3 (1.4) | 22 (10.3) | 8 (3.7) | |
| Preoperative | 167 (8.3) | 32 (19.6) | 113 (69.3) | 8 (4.9) | 10 (6.1) | 0 (0) | <0.001 |
| Other | 419 (20.7) | 198 (47.3) | 111 (26.5) | 18 (4.3) | 70 (16.7) | 22 (5.3) | |
| Imaging test | |||||||
| Chest/Thorax | 733 (36.3) | 315 (43.0) | 262 (35.7) | 49 (6.7) | 95 (13.0) | 12 (1.6) | <0.001 |
| Other XR | 516 (25.5) | 218 (42.2) | 198 (38.4) | 18 (3.5) | 41 (7.9) | 41 (7.9) | |
| Mammography | 175 (8.7) | 108 (61.7) | 54 (30.9) | 5 (2.9) | 5 (2.9) | 3 (1.7) | |
| CT body | 217 (10.7) | 113 (52.1) | 41 (18.9) | 11 (5.1) | 7 (3.2) | 45 (20.7) | |
| CT chest | 110 (5.4) | 71 (64.5) | 12 (10.9) | 7 (6.4) | 7 (6.4) | 13 (11.8) | |
| Other CT | 192 (9.5) | 110 (57.3) | 31 (16.1) | 3 (1.6) | 10 (5.2) | 38 (19.8) | |
| XR/Fluor | 79 (3.9) | 32 (40.5) | 36 (45.6) | 1 (1.3) | 4 (5.1) | 6 (7.6) | |
*P values were obtained by χ2 test of homogeneity.
†HD1 and HD2 stand for health departments 1 and 2, respectively.
XR, X-ray.