Table 3 Responses to clinical vignettes of IMG and USMG family physicians

% 50 y/o males prescribed oral agents for total cholesterol of 240, LDL of 150 and HDL of 50 after 6 months of diet therapy and no other cardiac risk factors (n = 2726)

21.60 (0.87)

22.92 (1.71)

0.4533

% 60 y/o males referred to urology for moderate BPH symptoms without signs of renal disease or cancer (n = 2726)

11.65 (0.55)

15.52 (1.77)

0.0276

% 50 y/o males with 1 month history of exertional chest pain referred to Cardiology after an abnormal stress test (n = 2726)

47.20 (1.15)

50.93 (2.80)

0.1791

% 35 y/o males ordered MRI for acute low back pain with new left foot drop (n = 2726)

33.39 (0.90)

39.58 (1.97)

0.0036

% Asymptomatic, male, Caucasian patients > 60 y/o without family history of prostate cancer and normal digital rectal exams who are ordered PSA test (n = 2726)

37.31 (1.34)

42.57 (2.64)

0.0301

% 40 y/o monogamous, female patients with 2 days of vaginal itching and thick white discharge without abdominal pain or fever who are required an office visit (n = 2726)

21.84 (0.95)

34.91 (2.61)

<0.001

% 10 y/o males with primary enuresis with negative work-up and failure of water restriction and environmental measures who are prescribed DDAVP (n = 2726)

26.23 (0.84)

31.98 (2.50)

0.0265

% 10 y/o males with 2 day history of sore throat and fever who required an office visit (n = 2726)

31.74 (1.03)

25.92 (1.99)

0.0084

% 10 y/o females with fever, tachypnea and right-basilar rales who are ordered chest X-rays (n = 2726)

23.40 (1.01)

27.56 (2.22)

0.0574

% 24-month-old females with history of 6 resolved episodes of supporative otitis media in past year with normal hearing and failure of prophylactic antibiotics who are referred to ENT for PE tubes (n = 2726)

22.94 (0.87)

22.60 (1.97)

0.8816

% Full-term, 6-week-old children given sepsis work-up (CBC, sterile urine and blood cultures) for a fever of 101 (n = 2726)

29.54 (0.91)

26.63 (2.25)

0.2458

% 4 y/o children with eczema and asthma that is worsening despite inhaled corticosteroids who are referred to an allergist (n = 2726)

29.42 (0.97)

28.40 (2.31)

0.6605