Promoting Patient-Centered Counseling to Reduce Inappropriate Diagnostic Tests

In each case, patients will harbor underlying concerns about a serious underlying condition (e.g., either disc herniation or osteoporosis) and will request inappropriate tests. Standardized patient instructors (SPIs) will portray new patients visiting the clinic for the first time, and electronic medical records will be identical to that of actual new patients.

During the initial part of intervention visits, SPIs will assess the extent to which PCPs engage in patient-centered techniques specified in the final intervention model. SPIs will then break of their role and either teach or reinforce PCP use of the techniques, presenting techniques in a logical sequence while emphasizing flexibility in their use. SPIs will use scripts to deliver the interventions, providing opportunities for PCPs to ask questions, discuss concepts, and practice (by role playing) patient-centered techniques.

In the latter half of visits with control PCPs, standardized patient instructors will share information with physicians regarding the acute low back pain self-care and bone health, but will not discuss patient-centered techniques or conduct training. The total duration of the control "information sharing" will be about one-third the SPI intervention to enhance patient-centeredness.