Stepping Up to Improve Care

A new module from the AMA’s STEPS Forward™ collection of practice improvement strategies offers steps that can help physicians implement Choosing Wisely into their practice. By completing the module, physicians will learn how to advance the campaign by:

• Engaging providers
• Engaging staff
• Engaging patients
• Establishing an implementation plan for the practice
• Using data to understand and improve performance

For example, the module suggests physicians can begin having discussions about Choosing Wisely with their colleagues by asking which guidelines they are currently following and exploring concerns about overuse or inappropriate care. They can then identify opportunities to eliminate sources of waste or possible harm and work together to develop solutions to perceived barriers.

In addition to the step-by-step implementation guide, the STEPS Forward module also includes a number of AMA Pearls, such as “Choosing Wisely lists are a starting point for conversation, not a rigid set of guidelines” and “Choosing Wisely may help you find the ‘sweet spot’ in clinical practice: not too little, not too much, but just the right amount of care.”

Physicians can also claim AMA PRA Category 1 Credit for completing the free module.