Choosing Wisely

Error creating thumbnail:

Logo for the campaign

Choosing Wisely is a United States-based health educational campaign aimed at reducing unnecessary healthcare practices. The campaign is led by the ABIM Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on advancing medical professionalism. Choosing Wisely seeks to promote conversations between doctors and patients regarding the need, efficacy, and potential risks of certain tests and procedures that may not provide significant benefits.

Objectives and Scope

Choosing Wisely aims to identify and bring awareness to over 500 commonly overused tests and procedures in modern healthcare. Through its initiatives, the campaign encourages doctors and patients to actively discuss the potential need for these interventions. The campaign advises second opinions and informed decision-making as part of the process before undergoing certain medical interventions. Despite the campaign’s emphasis on these conversations, some doctors report challenges with having enough time to conduct these discussions thoroughly within typical appointment settings.

Campaign Strategy and Development

To implement its goals, the ABIM Foundation collaborates with various medical specialty societies. Each specialty society involved in the campaign is invited to develop a list of five to ten specific recommendations that address common practices potentially subject to overuse within their area of expertise. These recommendations focus on discouraging unnecessary tests and procedures that may not provide additional benefits to the patient.

The ABIM Foundation then publicizes this guidance through various media channels and supports the specialty societies in disseminating these recommendations to their members. This outreach aims to educate both physicians and the general public about evidence-based practices and the importance of judicious use of healthcare resources.

Reception and Impact

Choosing Wisely has received both praise and criticism. Supporters commend the campaign for addressing the overuse of certain medical interventions, which can lead to patient harm, increased healthcare costs, and a strain on the healthcare system. The campaign has gained international recognition, inspiring similar initiatives in other countries, such as Canada, Australia, and several nations in Europe.

However, critics of Choosing Wisely argue that the campaign does not include thorough evaluation of its effects on overall healthcare costs, the quality of doctor-patient discussions, or specific medical outcomes. Some practitioners express concerns that the recommendations might lead to withholding necessary care in some cases or that implementation may vary widely due to differences in healthcare settings.

International Influence

The Choosing Wisely model has inspired healthcare campaigns across the world, adapting its recommendations to align with local healthcare practices and needs. Countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom have launched similar initiatives, often collaborating with their own national medical societies to address unnecessary healthcare practices and encourage shared decision-making.

See Also

• Evidence-based medicine
• Healthcare cost
• Medical ethics
• Shared decision-making
• Patient education

External Links

• Official Choosing Wisely website