How Can I Implement Choosing Wisely in My Workplace?
The resources below can help employers educate their employees about avoiding overuse and how to engage in conversations about appropriate care with their physician.
Five Easy Steps to Spread the Word
- Share Information – Distribute the “5 Questions to Ask your Doctor” brochures, flyers or wallet cards regarding overuse.
- Leverage Media – Include information about Choosing Wisely in newsletters, social media and on your website.
- Post in Plain View – Hang the “5 Questions to Ask your Doctor” poster in high-traffic areas, such as restrooms, cafeterias and lounges.
- Show and Tell – Screen a Choosing Wisely public service announcement at a gathering.
- Make It Personal – Distribute brochures on seasonal topics, such as antibiotic prescriptions for colds during flu season or imaging for head injuries during pre-season sports.
Guides and Toolkits
- An action brief from the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions provides information on the campaign and provides steps employers can take to engage their employees.
- The report “Lessons Learned from Patient Engagement” shares insights from project directors of grantee organizations about engaging patients, families and caregivers in Choosing Wisely conversations.
- This brief guide, “How to Engage Your Group/Business with Choosing Wisely – 3 Things You Can Do” by Maine Quality Counts, is meant to help you get started in sharing useful information to help others engage in conversations about the overuse of tests and procedures and support health care providers efforts to help patients/consumers make smart and effective health care choices.
- This webinar includes effective messaging to the public on why “more is not better” and includes a presentation by Neil Goldfarb on the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions on their national strategy to spread Choosing Wisely, as well as local examples of implementation by employer groups.
Learn From Others
- Outreach and education efforts have informed the 720,000 members of the United Auto Workers Retiree Medical Benefits Trust about the campaign.
- Stories from community organizations that are spreading the campaign among patients and consumers can serve as a guide for those looking for information on how to craft messaging to the public.
- These first-hand accounts shine a spotlight on the effects of overuse and overtreatment on patients and their caregivers.
Resources for Employees
These posters and cards can be distributed or posted in a common area.
“5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before You Get Any Test, Treatment or Procedure”
- Flyers (8.5×11) in English and Spanish
- Rack cards (4×9) in English and Spanish
- Wallet cards (3.5×2) in English and Spanish
- Lower-literacy posters in English (8.5×11 and 18×24) and Spanish (8.5×11 and 18×24)
“5 Questions To Ask Your Doctor Before You Take Antibiotics”
“5 Ways to be Smart About Back Pain”
“Do you get headaches? You probably don’t need a CT scan or MRI.”
“Avoid Opioids for Most Long-Term Pain”
Browse our patient resources for information on additional health topics.
Learn more:
Where Should I Start?
Information on the origins of the campaign, accounts from early adopters, and anecdotes from patients on the effects of overtreatment
Am I Choosing Wisely?
Learning modules for clinicians that help them hone communication skills, avoid unnecessary testing and overcome barriers to delivering high-value care
How Can I Implement Choosing Wisely in My Practice or Health System?
Information for clinicians or health system leaders looking to start a program at their organization
How Can I Implement Choosing Wisely in My Community?
Information for community organizations and employers looking to engage patients in the campaign
