Physicians Are Not Aware of How Their Utilization of CT Compares to Their Peers'

Decreasing avoidable computed tomography (CT) is a top priority identified by the Choosing Wisely campaign, as imaging and radiation exposure have increased rapidly without measurable benefit to patients. These authors measured the rate of CT utilization for attending physicians at two teaching hospitals in Ontario.

During the 4-month study period, 59 physicians cared for nearly 46,000 patients and ordered approximately 6600 CT scans (an average of 14.4%, or 1 CT for every 7 patients). Individual ordering rates ranged from 5.9% to 25.9%. Adjustment for shift type (urgent, observation, resuscitation, night) showed that 13 physicians (22%) ordered significantly fewer CTs than average and 12 (20%) ordered significantly more.

Forty-five attending…