Table 1.
Summary of the characteristics of included studies (N = 16)
| Characteristic | Included studies, n (%) |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| UK | 6 (38) |
| The Netherlands | 4 (25) |
| US | 3 (19) |
| Australia | 2 (13) |
| Norway | 1 (6) |
|
| |
| Study design | |
| Cluster RCT | 15 (94) |
| RCT | 1 (6) |
|
| |
| Setting | |
| Single centre | 2 (13) |
| Multicentre | 14 (88) |
|
| |
| Indication for medical testsa | |
| Specified | 9 (56) |
| Low back pain | 4 (25) |
| Othersb | 5 (31) |
| Not specified | 7 (44) |
|
| |
| Type of medical testsa | |
| Laboratory tests | 8 (50) |
| Imaging | 11 (69) |
| Physiology | 3 (19) |
a
Some studies were applicable to >1 category.
b
Many other conditions were addressed, but most of them were evaluated in only one of the included studies (see Supplementary Table S1 for detailed information about each condition). RCT = randomised controlled trial.