# Stress test and echo before first PCP appointment? WTF? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 8, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stress-test-and-echo-before-first-pcp-appointment-wtf/425694 "2007-11-08T19:41:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stress-test-and-echo-before-first-pcp-appointment-wtf/425694/1 "2007-11-08T19:41:51Z")
I was just talking to a colleague, who’s shopping for a PCP. He found a PCP willing to take him, but the doctor first wanted him to have a stress test and an echocardiogram. Now, by way of background, my colleague is a young guy, reasonably athletic and healthy, with no history of heart disease or arrhythmia, and no family history of heart disease. Also by way of background, the tests were to be performed in the doctor’s own office. I was immediately like, WTF? I’ve never heard of such a proceeding, and my reaction was that the doctor was just looking to do some tests he could bill for. But I thought I should at least ask here – has it become a common/recommended/accepted practice to perform a screening echo and stress test for primary-care patients? ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stress-test-and-echo-before-first-pcp-appointment-wtf/425694/2 "2007-11-08T21:32:43Z")
My anecdotal experience with doctors is usually the reverse: I have to convince them that I want a diagnostic test. My WAG: the insurance company or some outside provider is insisting that the doctor take in only healthy clients. All in all, seems fishy to me. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stress-test-and-echo-before-first-pcp-appointment-wtf/425694/3 "2007-11-08T21:54:35Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Also by way of background, the tests were to be performed in the doctor’s own office. [/QUOTE] Isn’t this the explanation - $$$. As a physician, I can’t conceive of performing tests on which I stand to profit before I’ve even said ‘hello’ to the patient. ---
**Author:** ![Ebola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Ebola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ebola)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stress-test-and-echo-before-first-pcp-appointment-wtf/425694/4 "2007-11-08T22:12:04Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] I was just talking to a colleague, who’s shopping for a PCP. He found a PCP willing to take him, but the doctor first wanted him to have a stress test and an echocardiogram. Now, by way of background, my colleague is a young guy, reasonably athletic and healthy, with no history of heart disease or arrhythmia, and no family history of heart disease. Also by way of background, the tests were to be performed in the doctor’s own office. I was immediately like, WTF? I’ve never heard of such a proceeding, and my reaction was that the doctor was just looking to do some tests he could bill for. But I thought I should at least ask here – has it become a common/recommended/accepted practice to perform a screening echo and stress test for primary-care patients? [/QUOTE] I am a physician and can’t imagine why the PCP would order such a test on someone he had never seen! ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stress-test-and-echo-before-first-pcp-appointment-wtf/425694/5 "2007-11-08T22:16:38Z")
Thanks, **KarlGauss** and **Ebola** , for confirming my initial suspicions. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stress-test-and-echo-before-first-pcp-appointment-wtf/425694/6 "2007-11-09T02:18:17Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Thanks, **KarlGauss** and **Ebola** , for confirming my initial suspicions. [/QUOTE] I am in agreement with **KarlGauss** and **Ebola**. I just wanted to join the chorus saying “that ain’t right”! Docs that do such ordering prior to investigation diminish the credibility of the profession.