Commonly Over-utilized Procedures (COPs)
Group | Description |
Back Pain Imaging | Don't do imaging for low back pain within the first six weeks, unless red flags are present. |
Cervical Cancer Screening | Don't perform cervical cancer screening in older women (over 65 years) |
IgG/IgE Testing | Don't routinely do diagnostic testing in patients with chronic urticaria. |
Digoxin CHF | Don't perform routine monitoring of digoxin in patients with congestive heart failure. |
Drain/Inject Joint/Bursa | DRAIN/INJECT JOINT/BURSA |
Brain CT/MRI Headaches | Don't do imaging for uncomplicated headache. |
Asthma w/out Spirometry | Don't diagnose or manage asthma without spirometry. |
Hysterectomy benign | Don't perform hysterectomy for benign disease. |
EEG Headaches | Don't perform electroencephalography (EEG) for headaches. |
DXA Bone Density | Don't use dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) screening for osteoporosis in women younger than 65 or men younger than 70 with no risk factors. |
Brain CT/MRI Syncopes | In the evaluation of simple syncope and a normal neurological examination, don't obtain brain imaging studies (CT or MRI). |
Annual EKGs | Don't order annual electrocardiograms (EKGs) or any other cardiac screening for low-risk patients without symptoms. |
Pap Smear | Don't do pap smear for females < 21 or had hysterectomy procedures without a malignant neoplasm diagnosis. |
Vitamin D 25 Hydroxy | Don't perform population based screening for 25-OH-Vitamin D deficiency. |
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia | Don’t order creatinine or upper-tract imaging for patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). |
Pre-existing cervical, thoracic, lumber disease | Don’t use electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) to determine the cause of axial lumbar, thoracic or cervical spine pain. |
PSA Screening | Don't perform prostate cancer screening in men over 75 years. |
Sinus CT | Don't order sinus computed tomography (CT) or indiscriminately prescribe antibiotics for uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis. |