Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Jun;30(2):76-80.
doi: 10.3109/02813432.2012.684208.

Use of laboratory tests in out-of-hours services in Norway

Ingrid Keilegavlen Rebnord  1 , Hogne Sandvik, Steinar Hunskaar
Affiliations

Use of laboratory tests in out-of-hours services in Norway

Ingrid Keilegavlen Rebnord et al. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2012 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the use of laboratory tests and which factors influence the use in Norwegian out-of-hours (OOH) services.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting: Out-of-hours services in Norway.

Subjects: All electronic reimbursement claims from doctors at OOH services in Norway in 2007.

Main outcome measures: Number of contacts and laboratory tests in relation to patients' and doctors' characteristics.

Results: 1 323 281 consultations and home visits were reported. Laboratory tests were used in 31% of the contacts. C-reactive protein (CRP) was the most common test (27% of all contacts), especially in respiratory illness (55%) and infants (44%). Electrocardiogram and rapid strep A test were used in 4% of the contacts. Young doctors, female doctors, and doctors in central areas used laboratory tests more often.

Conclusion: CRP is extensively used in OOH services, especially by young and inexperienced doctors, and in central areas. Further investigations are required to see if this extensive use of CRP is of importance for correct diagnosis and treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Distribution of all contacts and laboratory fees by age.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Sandvik H, Zakariassen E, Hunskår S. Fastlegenes deltakelse i legevakt (Norwegian regular general practitioners participation in out-of-hours work. English version) Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2007;127:2513–16. - PubMed
    1. Otterlei B, Bentzen N. Færre fastleger deltar i legevakt [Fewer regular practitioners participate in out-of-hours emergency services. English abstract] Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2007;127:1351–3. - PubMed
    1. Sandvik S, Hunskår S. Arbeidsstil hos fastleger og andre leger på legevakt [Working style among regular general practitioners and other doctors in out-of-hours emergency services in Norway. English version] Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2010;130:135–8. - PubMed
    1. Zakariassen E, Blinkenberg J, Holm-Hansen E. Beliggenhet, lokaler og rutiner ved norske legevakter [Locations, facilities and routines in Norwegian out-of-hours services. English version] Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2007;127:1339–42. - PubMed
    1. Nieber E, Holm-Hansen E, Bondevik G. Organisering av legevakt [Organization of Norwegian out-of-hours primary health care services. English version] Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2007;127:1335–8. - PubMed