Usefulness of routine preoperative testing: a prospective single-observer study

Although the incidence of unindicated preoperative screening tests is still more than 50%, no previously unidentified benefit was found to support this persistence of unwarranted testing. The limited number of patients in this study necessitates a larger study to ensure greater certainty before such a recommendation is made to the public. If similar results in another but larger study involving similar design, simple changes in the system of preoperative care may save the health care system the considerable expense of unwarranted testing.