Costs of Care and ABIM Foundation Launch Second Annual Teaching Value and Choosing Wisely Challenge

While physicians are routinely being asked to manage the utilization of expensive resources, traditional medical training offers few opportunities to learn how to deliver the highest quality care at the lowest possible cost. To help bridge this gap, Costs of Care, a nonprofit organization devoted to empowering patients and caregivers to lower their medical bills, partnered with the ABIM Foundation to create the Teaching Value and Choosing Wisely Challenge.

“Effective stewardship of health care resources is not just a matter of making sure that trainees understand the evidence. They must also learn how to deliver care differently,” said Neel Shah, MD, Founder and Executive Director at Costs of Care. “We are seeking new ideas and field-tested innovations that will help prepare the next generation of physicians to deliver the highest quality of care with the least amount of waste.”

First launched in 2013, the Challenge seeks to identify the most promising innovations and bright ideas for advancing high-value care in medical education that could be successfully implemented on a larger scale. Last year more than 70 entries were submitted and six winners announced.

Open to medical students, residents, fellows and faculty, participants are asked to submit short abstracts that either describe a project they have already implemented or an idea for a project they believe could have promise.

Entries will be accepted through January 15, 2015. A panel of judges comprised of leaders in medical education will review the entries and winners will be announced in late April.

Challenge judges include:

• Darrell Kirch, MD, President, Association of American Medical Colleges
• Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, President and CEO, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Clarence Braddock, MD, Vice Dean for Medical Education, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
• Amy Berman, RN, Senior Program Officer, Hartford Foundation
• Vivian Lee, MD, PhD, CEO, University of Utah Health Care

The Teaching Value and Choosing Wisely Challenge builds on the ABIM Foundation’s Choosing Wisely^® campaign. While the campaign is helping change the way many physicians practice, it is important that the goals of Choosing Wisely be imparted to the next generation of doctors.

In conjunction with the Challenge, the ABIM Foundation will host a learning network open to all Challenge participants and those interested in advancing high-value care initiatives. The network will convene clinicians across the country who are committed to improving health care delivery and feature monthly spotlights on leadership strategies in medical education. For more information on joining the learning network, contact Alison Brecher at abrecher@abim.org.