Outcome	Absolute change	Relative effect/result		Number of studies	Strength of evidence
Procalcitonin point-of-care testing vs. usual care
Overall prescribing (adults only)	−12% to −72%	Greater reduction with procalcitonin testing		1 systematic review of 4 RCTs	● ● ○
			Acute RTI: OR = 0.14 (95% CI, 0.09 to 0.22)
			Acute bronchitis: OR = 0.15 (95% CI, 0.10 to 0.23)
Adverse consequences	—	No difference in number of days of limited activity, missed work, or continuing symptoms at 28 days for upper or lower RTI in primary care		1 RCT	● ○ ○
	—	No difference in hospitalizations or combined adverse effects/lack of efficacy outcome		1 RCT
	—	No difference in mortality or treatment failure at 30 days for acute bronchitis/upper RTIs in primary care or emergency department care and for upper or lower RTIs in primary care		5 RCTs
Rapid streptococcal antigen point-of-care testing vs. usual care
Overall prescribing	−20% to −52%	Greater reduction with rapid streptococcal antigen testing		3 RCTs	● ● ○
Inappropriate prescribing	−33%	Greater reduction with rapid streptococcal antigen testing		1 RCT	● ○ ○
Adverse consequences	—	No evidence regarding adverse consequences		—	○ ○ ○
Rapid viral point-of-care testing (multiviral polymerase chain reaction) vs. usual care in adults
Overall prescribing	−7.8%; P < .01	Greater reduction with multiviral polymerase chain reaction		1 RCT	● ○ ○
Adverse consequences	—	No evidence regarding adverse consequences		—	○ ○ ○
C-reactive protein point-of-care testing vs. usual care
Overall prescribing	−1.9% to −33.5%	Greater reduction with C-reactive protein testing: RR = 0.73 (95% CI, 0.60 to 0.90)		7 RCTs	● ● ○
Adverse consequences	—	Greater reconsultation rate within 4 weeks with C-reactive protein testing		3 RCTs	● ● ○
	—	Potential increased risk of hospitalization at 30 days with C-reactive protein testing		7 RCTs	● ○ ○
	—	No effect on symptom resolution		4 RCTs	● ○ ○
Delayed vs. immediate prescribing
Overall prescribing	−34% to −76%	Greater reduction with delayed prescribing: OR = 0.00 to 0.12		6 RCTs	● ● ○
Other benefits	—	Reduced multidrug resistance for streptococcal pneumonia strains in acute otitis media with delayed prescribing		1 RCT	● ○ ○
	—	Reduced diarrhea in acute otitis media with delayed prescribing		2 RCTs	● ○ ○
Adverse consequences	—	No difference in reconsultation		4 RCTs	● ● ○
	—	Reduced satisfaction with delayed prescribing		5 RCTs	● ● ○
	—	Increased persistence of moderate to severe symptoms with delayed prescribing		2 RCTs	● ○ ○
Electronic decision support vs. usual care
Overall prescribing (systems with ≥ 50% use)	−5% to −9%	Greater reduction with decision support: RR = 0.73 (95% CI, 0.58 to 0.92)		2 RCTs	● ● ○
Inappropriate prescribing (for acute bronchitis and acute otitis media)	−3% to −24%	Greater reduction with decision support		2 RCTs	● ● ○
Adverse consequences	—	No difference in health care utilization or complications		1 RCT	● ○ ○