The Acceptability of Diagnostic Tests in the United Kingdom

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Purpose: It is increasingly acknowledged that public acceptability should be considered when designing, evaluating, and implementing healthcare interventions; especially for vulnerable groups. Patients and Methods: A voluntary, self-reported, anonymous questionnaire with ethical approval and patient and public involvement was distributed online through social media over a 6-month period to explore acceptability of diagnostic tests. Results: Ninety-three individuals replied to the questionnaire, of which the majority were female (89.2%) heterosexual (92.4%) white (81.6%) and resided in England (94.6%). The most encountered diagnostic test was an X-ray (92.4%) and the least encountered test was a bone marrow biopsy with local anaesthetic (0%). A sputum sample test was the most perfectly acceptable investigation (83.8%). One percent of participants felt that the cervical smear test was perfectly acceptable With reference to hysteroscopy, 44% felt a hysteroscopy was perfectly acceptable under general anaesthesia, compared to no participants with local anaesthetic or sedation. Forty one percent of participants felt a diagnostic laparoscopy was perfectly acceptable. Conclusion: The findings from this study provide insight into the acceptability of medical tests from a patient perspective and will inform a more explorative qualitative study to ensure researchers are aiming to produce tests that are sensitive, specific and importantly acceptable. Plain Language Summary: The development of a medical test should always acknowledge the views of the public in terms of its acceptability. We conducted an online questionnaire-based study that explored the view of the public, in the United Kingdom (UK), regarding a series of non-invasive and invasive medical tests. Ninety-three individuals replied to the questionnaire and the majority were female (89.2%) and most resided in England (94.6%). The most encountered diagnostic test was an X-ray (92.4%) and the least encountered test was a bone marrow biopsy (test to remove soft tissue inside a bone through a needle) with local anaesthetic (0%). A sputum sample test was the most perfectly acceptable investigation (83.8%). Participants also explained that if the test was looking for cancer, or if the reason for the test was due to pain symptoms, then they were more likely to have the test. We will explore our findings further through our next study by interviewing participants and ensuring the patient and public voice is represented for the different medical tests. Keywords: medical investigations, tolerability, patient centered, investigations

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