Low-Value Care in Medicare Wellness Visits

Clinicians often order tests with little clinical value as a component of routine physical examinations or “wellness visits.” In this study, investigators evaluated performance of three tests — electrocardiograms (ECGs), urinalyses, and serum thyrotropin — in a national sample of about 75,000 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries who had Medicare-sponsored annual wellness visits. These patients had no medical conditions that justified ordering these tests, and the tests had not been done in the prior 6 months (which might indicate need for follow-up testing). The frequency of ordering the three tests was assessed in the 7 days before or after each wellness visit. Testing and care in the subsequent 90 days then were assessed as to whether t…