Choosing Wisely in Action

The New England Journal of Medicine article “Swimming Against the Current—What Might Work to Reduce Low-Value Care” presents a series of demand-side and supply-side interventions that could be implemented to reduce unnecessary care and improve quality. The article’s author Carrie H. Colla, PhD, notes: “Much work remains, but the combination of shared risk and efforts such as Choosing Wisely® may prove catalytic.”

Since its launch in 2012, Choosing Wisely has catalyzed many clinicians, residents and health systems across the country to embrace the concept that more isn’t necessarily better and implement the campaign in their own practices. Using the framework described by Dr. Colla, below are a number of notable ways Choosing Wisely is advancing across the country and helping reduce overuse and waste. 

Physician Interventions

• Clinical Decision Support
  • Charting a Fifty Percent Drop in Antibiotics Use
  • Johns Hopkins Bayview Reduces Overuse of Cardiac Tests
  • Choosing Wisely at Crystal Run Healthcare
  • Cedars-Sinai Alerts Its Docs to Choosing Wisely
  • Fletcher Allen Takes Grassroots Approach to Choosing Wisely
• Clinician Education
  • Mount Sinai Embraces Hospitalists’ Choosing Wisely Advice
  • AAO Develops Online Curriculum to Support Ophthalmologists in Choosing Wisely
  • WESTMED Medical Group Educates Patients about Antibiotic Overuse
  • Choosing Wisely Changing How Maine Health Systems and Practices Deliver Care
  • Better Health Greater Cleveland Helps Teach Medical Students and Residents ‘Less Is More’
  • Mercy Healthcare Goes All In on Choosing Wisely
• Clinician Feedback
  • Vermont Radiation Oncologist Uses Choosing Wisely to Improve Patient Experience
  • Rockwood Clinic Adds Choosing Wisely to its Quality Menu
  • Choosing Wisely Inspires Quality Improvement Initiatives at UCSF
  • Henry Ford Physician Network Focuses on Rapid Performance Improvement
  • Choosing Wisely at Intermountain
  • Competition Drives Choosing Wisely Adoption at Vanderbilt
  • Choosing Wisely Prompts Kaiser Permanente Branch to Action

Patient Interventions

• Education
  • Choosing Wisely? There’s An App For That!
  • Online Health Benefits System Castlight Delivers Choosing Wisely Content at the Right Time
  • WESTMED Medical Group Educates Patients about Antibiotic Overuse
  • Consumer Reports Launches New Information Hubs
  • HealthInsight Utah Teams with Early Childhood Educators to Reduce Antibiotic Overuse in Kids
  • How Patients are Choosing Wisely Online
  • Patients Get Educated and Empowered
  • Consumer Reports Engages Patients in Choosing Wisely

Share your story

We’d like to hear how Choosing Wisely has inspired a new project, a change in your practice or encouraged you to be more involved in your own care. Contact us to share your story.