Diagnostics in general practice

Group

We aim to improve the accuracy and efficiency of diagnostics in general practice, ensuring better access to care and outcomes for patients in all age groups.

The three main areas of focus are:

Generating evidence for diagnostic tests in general practice and facilitating their implementation, with an emphasis on point-of-care tests for pediatric patients.
Developing efficient methods for evaluating diagnostic tests in general practice using a multivariable approach, accelerating their implementation, and reducing costs.
Improving the organization and efficiency of routine testing in general practice.

Relevance

How our research benefits to society

Primary care addresses over 90% of patient health concerns, often involving varying risks for underlying diseases. This poses a challenge for general practitioners (GPs) in applying appropriate diagnostics or deciding when to forgo additional testing. Diagnostic uncertainty and insufficient guidelines for the indication, interpretation, and communication of tests add complexity, particularly when managing children, where testing may require extra caution. These challenges are further compounded by a changing healthcare landscape, characterized by increasing patient demands and expanding diagnostic options.

New diagnostic technologies, such as Point-of-Care Tests (POCT), which are now more compact and increasingly available, show potential to support GPs. However, it takes an average of nine years to generate evidence for new tests, and many tests developed in specialist settings lack sufficient evaluation in primary care. This can lead to missed or overdiagnoses, increased patient burden, and unnecessary costs.

Routine testing in primary care, for example in patients at risk for cardiovascular disease, leads to a high GP workload. Applying the correct test protocols is challenging, especially in patients with comorbidities and multiple medications, and can result in both undertesting and overtesting. More efficient approaches are needed to make routine testing cost-effective, improve patient outcomes, and reduce the daily workload for GPs.