Choosing Wisely campaigns globally: A shared approach to tackling the problem of overuse in healthcare

Abstract

Choosing Wisely, a campaign which launched in the United States in 2012, has now spread to over 20 countries around the world. Choosing Wisely campaigns share a core set of principles, which inform how campaigns operate and engage with physicians, clinicians, patients, and other stakeholders. This article will address the origins and motivation of Choosing Wisely campaigns, and what factors have supported their spread. It will also discuss how leaders of Choosing Wisely campaigns are collaborating on shared priorities.

The Lancet Series call to action to reduce low value care for low back pain: an update

“…Global initiatives to decrease health care waste and iatrogenesis such as Choosing Wisely are therefore specifically targeting imaging for low back pain 8 ; however, large-scale impact of these initiatives have not yet been well documented. 48 A 2019 times-series analysis of a national strategy designed to reduce general practitioner requests for X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans that was implemented by the Australian National Prescribing Service in 2013 reported a 11% relative reduction in lumbar spine CT scans over that year, equating to a cost reduction to the government of AUD$11,600,898.…”

Indications and outcome in surgically treated asymptomatic meningiomas: a single-center case-control study

“…Intervention at diagnosis of asymptomatic meningiomas, or intervention simply because the meningioma at some point demonstrates growth, might lead to overtreatment, which is a general concern of modern health care [2]. There is a need to further investigate the implications of current practice, to assess if and why surgery for asymptomatic patients is performed and to study the outcome, in order to properly weigh possible long-term advantages of surgery against demonstrated short-term disadvantages [7].…”

Report from the Dialysis—getting the right balance conference

“…Whilst the abolition of unmet need is to be celebrated, concerns have arisen that some individuals may now be at risk of over-treatment (Grady, 2010;Moynahin, 2013;Born & Levinson, 2019). Dialysis carries considerable burdens in terms of time commitment, travel and disruption to everyday activities (Verberne et al, 2018).…”