Low-Value Care

Female patients over 75 without known cardiovascular disease were less likely to receive non-indicated lipid-lowering therapy for primary prevention compared to male patients. Some GPs held the view that if a test or treatment is medically and ethically justified, it should be provided regardless of cost. Non-indicated NSAID use did not reach corrected significance, meaning the NSAID sex disparity was not confirmed by this study. GPs recognised that extra short-term costs can be justified when they produce later health benefits. Evidence strength and price were seen as linked: a low-cost treatment with limited but plausible evidence might be tried, while a high-cost treatment with weak evidence would be deprioritised. Female patients were significantly more likely to receive non-indicated antihypertensive treatment for acute isolated hypertension, a Choosing Wisely 'do not' recommendation. The simultaneous overuse of non-indicated antihypertensives and underuse of guideline-recommended procedures among female patients represents a dual risk pattern. Many GPs considered it important to weigh benefits and costs to avoid low-value care, while acknowledging that such evaluation is dif…