Doing less, diagnosing wiser: reducing overtesting in General Practice

Medical tests are often helpful, but some are performed without clear benefit. These tests can lead to unnecessary follow-up tests, worry for patients, and extra workload for general practitioners (GPs). That's why it's important to better understand why unnecessary testing ('overtesting') happens in general practice and how it can be reduced safely.

Aim

This project aims to support safer care, reduce unnecessary stress and investigations for patients and their relatives, and help GPs manage diagnostic uncertainty while maintaining high-quality, sustainable care.

Approach

In this project, we will study testing patterns in everyday GP care, talk with patients and GPs, and analyse how expectations about testing arise, including through online information and social media. Together with patients and healthcare professionals, we will develop and test practical tools that help GPs and patients make well-informed decisions about the need for testing.