Überversorgung in der Schweiz: Wie häufig werden präoperative Thorax-Röntgenuntersuchungen durchgeführt?

Background: Preoperative chest radiography in the absence of a clinical suspicion for intrathoracic pathology is part of the Top-5 list of the Swiss «Smarter Medicine»-initiative. This study investigates the proportion of futile preoperative chest radiographies in Switzerland. Methods: Secondary analysis of claims data from hospitalized persons with basic obligatory health insurance. Proportion of preoperative chest radiography was stratified for socioeconomics and cardiovascular disease and respiratory illness. Results: Of 47 215 hospitalized persons, 6121 (13%) had an ambulatory preoperative chest radiography. There was considerable intercantonal variation. Discussion: There is no indication for excessive use of futile preoperative chest radiography in Switzerland. Intercantonal differences may indicate unwarranted variation. This study contributes arguments for including health services research data in future Top-5 lists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]