Physicians' anticipated regret and diagnostic testing: comment on Hozo and Djulbegovic, 2008.

摘要

In a recent article in this journal, Hozo and Djulbe-govic (hereafter H&D) extended their previous work on "acceptable regret" to situations in which diagnostic tests are available. They described a model in which physicians' levels of acceptable regret affect the probability ranges over which 3 decision alternatives (order a diagnostic test, treat without testing, or withhold treatment without testing) are considered rational and appropriate, and they illustrated the model with an example involving a patient suspected of having a pulmonary embolism (PE).