Table 3 Pre-post comparison of the monthly number of diagnostic and lab tests prescribed per 100 consultations (time series analysis, ARIMA model)

 Uric acid

12

10.9

0.094

11.2

4.5

<0.001

 Serum protein electrophoresis

4.1

3.2

0.001

4.7

0.6

<0.001

 Sedimentation rate

8.3

7.7

0.259

7.1

2

<0.001

 Rest electrocardiography^a

7.7

6.8

0.189

6.4

5.4

0.072

 Lung X-ray

1.7

1.6

0.351

1.9

1.4

0.002

All tests withdrawn

33.8

30.3

0.075

31.3

13.9

<0.001

 HDL cholesterol^b

19

17.8

0.357

16.7

16

0.566

 Triglycerides

19.6

18.3

0.349

17.4

16.2

0.372

 Faecal occult blood test^b

8.5

7.3

0.236

4.9

6.3

0.017

Cervicovaginal cytology^b

4.8

4.7

0.779

4.5

4.4

0.905

Mammography^b

1.9

1.8

0.332

1.6

1.7

0.631

All tests added

53.7

49.9

0.334

45

44.7

0.909

 Glucose

22.7

21.5

0.402

20.4

18.8

0.199

 Total cholesterol

20.6

19.3

0.345

18.3

16.9

0.264

 Colonoscopy

1.4

1.5

0.325

1.2

1.2

0.940

 Flexible sigmoidoscopy

0.1

0.1

0.031

0.1

0.1

0.115

 DXA^α

1

0.7

0.035

0.6

0.6

0.562

 VDRL^β

2.1

2

0.234

1.9

1.6

0.003

All green marked

82.1

76.7

0.331

70.2

67.5

0.560

 Pelvic ultrasound

1.2

1.1

0.033

1

1.1

0.815

 Cancer antigen 19-9

0.2

0.2

0.911

0.1

0.1

0.013

 Exercise electrocardiography

0.5

0.6

0.308

0.5

0.4

0.113

 Carotid artery ultrasound

0.3

0.2

0.484

0.2

0.2

0.072

 Spirometry

0.5

0.5

0.959

0.3

0.5

0.010

 Hepatitis B surface antigen

1.6

1.7

0.627

1.3

1.2

0.147

 Hepatitis C antibodies

1.2

1.2

0.379

0.9

0.9

0.898

All red marked

13.1

12.3

0.341

10.9

9.7

0.102