Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27536775›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2016

Appropriate Use of Cardiac Stress Testing with Imaging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Joseph A Ladapo, Saul Blecker, Michael O'Donnell, Saahil A Jumkhawala, Pamela S Douglas

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance recommendations toward environmentally sustainable cardiovascular magnetic resonance.Journal of cardiovascular magnetic resonance : official journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance · 2025
    Guideline
  2. Article
  3. Quality metrics for single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging: an ASNC information statement.Journal of nuclear cardiology : official publication of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology · 2023
    Review
  4. Insights into Nuclear Cardiology in the United States from the first 3 years of the ImageGuide Registry.Journal of nuclear cardiology : official publication of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology · 2022
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Appropriateness of inpatient stress testing: Implications for development of clinical decision support mechanisms and future criteria.Journal of nuclear cardiology : official publication of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology · 2021
    Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Review
  14. Article
  15. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Joseph A LadapoDivision of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America.
Saul BleckerDepartment of Population Health and Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America.
Michael O'DonnellNew York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America.
Saahil A JumkhawalaNew York University, New York, NY, United States of America.
Pamela S DouglasDepartment of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America.

Funding

Patient-centered approaches to diagnosing coronary heart diseaseK23HL116787 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI LADAPO, JOSEPH ABIODUN · 2013 to 2017
$790k
Health Information Technology in Heart Failure CareK08HS023683 · AHRQ · NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI BLECKER, SAUL B. · 2014 to 2017
$633k
AHRQ HHS K08 HS023683NHLBI NIH HHS K23 HL116787
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAppropriate use criteria (AUC) for cardiac stress tests address concerns about utilization growth and patient safety. We systematically reviewed studies of appropriateness, including within physician specialties; evaluated trends over time and in response to AUC updates; and characterized leading indications for inappropriate/rarely appropriate testing.

methodsWe searched PubMed (2005-2015) for English-language articles reporting stress echocardiography or myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) appropriateness. Data were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression.

resultsThirty-four publications of 41,578 patients were included, primarily from academic centers. Stress echocardiography appropriate testing rates were 53.0% (95% CI, 45.3%-60.7%) and 50.9% (42.6%-59.2%) and inappropriate/rarely appropriate rates were 19.1% (11.4%-26.8%) and 28.4% (23.9%-32.8%) using 2008 and 2011 AUC, respectively. Stress MPI appropriate testing rates were 71.1% (64.5%-77.7%) and 72.0% (67.6%-76.3%) and inappropriate/rarely appropriate rates were 10.7% (7.2%-14.2%) and 15.7% (12.4%-19.1%) using 2005 and 2009 AUC, respectively. There was no significant temporal trend toward rising rates of appropriateness for stress echocardiography or MPI. Unclassified stress echocardiograms fell by 79% (p = 0.04) with updated AUC. There were no differences between cardiac specialists and internists.

conclusionsRates of appropriate use tend to be lower for stress echocardiography compared to MPI, and updated AUC reduced unclassified stress echocardiograms. There is no conclusive evidence that AUC improved appropriate use over time. Further research is needed to determine if integration of appropriateness guidelines in academic and community settings is an effective approach to optimizing inappropriate/rarely appropriate use of stress testing and its associated costs and patient harms.

Indexed as

EchocardiographyExercise TestMyocardial Perfusion ImagingCoronary DiseaseHumansPatient SafetyPractice Guidelines as Topic

Identifiers

PMID27536775
PMCPMC4990235

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.