Declining Rates of Pre-Op Stress Tests

An article published Sept 30 in MedPage Today examined why the practice of conducting stress tests before joint replacement surgery has decreased since 2006. Between 2004 and 2006, the number of stress tests increased, but after 2006 the number has been steadily declining. Experts cited a shift toward value-based health care, concerns about overuse of cardiac stress tests and changing guidelines on which patients should receive testing as possible factors behind the decline.