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The following is a summary of “Association Between Physician Age and Imaging Utilization in Emergency Department Abdominal Pain Evaluation,” published in the November 2024 issue of Emergency Medicine by Querin et al. 

Emergency department (ED) evaluation of abdominal pain often involves significant resource use, with the impact of physician age on imaging practices remaining uncertain.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the correlation between physician age and abdominal imaging orders in the ED.  

They analyzed data from 5 years of ED visits from multiple sites. The primary outcome focused on abdominal imaging use, while secondary outcomes included hospital admissions, ED length of stay (LOS), and 72-hour revisit rates. Multivariable logistic regression was applied for binary outcomes, and LOS was evaluated using multivariable linear regression. Physicians were grouped into age categories: <36, 36-44, 45-54, and ≥55 years.  

The results showed that among 91,922 unique encounters, physicians in the ≥55-year group had lower odds of ordering imaging compared to all younger cohorts and reduced odds of 72-hour revisits, with no significant differences in hospital admissions or ED LOS compared to those under 36 years. Physicians aged 36-44 and 45-54 years demonstrated higher odds of hospital admission than those in the <36-year group. Additionally, both senior groups (≥55 and 45-54 years) had fewer 72-hour ED revisits than the youngest cohort.  

Investigators concluded that more senior physicians while utilizing fewer imaging resources and having fewer 72-hour revisits, maintained equivalent hospital admission rates and ED LOS compared to younger physicians. 

Source: jem-journal.com/article/S0736-4679(24)00369-X/abstract