Associations between experience, diagnostic certainty, diagnostic agreement and investigative approach
These data are reported for each individual rater in Table 2. Mean diagnostic certainty increased numerically with years’ experience but the number of raters was too small for statistical analysis. For each of the four raters, statistically significant associations were identified between increasing diagnostic certainty and greater diagnostic agreement. A one-unit increase in diagnostic certainty resulted in the odds of agreement with 0 colleagues rather than 1,2 or 3 reducing by 44%, 29%, 43% and 24%, respectively for the four raters.
For each of the four raters, significant associations were identified between increasing diagnostic certainty and decreased likelihood of arranging investigations. A one-unit increase in diagnostic certainty resulted in a reduction in the odds that a consultant would arrange any investigations of 22%, 29%, 44% and 42%, respectively for the four raters.