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Choosing Wisely: An Initiative of the ABIM Foundation
<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <title>Choosing Wisely: An Initiative of the ABIM Foundation</title> <meta charset="utf-8" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /> <meta name="description" content="Choosing Wisely was an 11-year campaign launched by the ABIM Foundation, aimed at promoting conversations between clinicians and patients about unnecessary medical tests, treatments, and procedures. In addition to detailing the initiative's history, the site offers various resources and research highlighting the benefits of reducing low-value care." /> <link rel="preconnect" href="//fonts.googleapis.com" /> <link rel="preconnect" href="//fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin /> <link href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Montserrat:wght@600&family=Open+Sans:ital,wght@0,400;0,700;1,400&family=Poppins:ital,wght@0,400;0,700;1,700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet" /> <link media="all" rel="stylesheet" href="css/styles.min.css" /> </head> <body> <header class="site-header"> <div class="container"> <div class="d-flex align-items-center justify-content-between"> <div class="site-header__logo site-header__logo--cw"> <img src="images/cw-logo.svg" alt="Choosing Wisely: An initiative of the ABIM Foundation logo" /> </div> <div class="site-header__logo site-header__logo--abimf"> <a target="_blank" href="https://abimfoundation.org/" ><img src="images/abimf-logo.svg" alt="ABIM Foundation Logo" /></a> </div> </div> </div> </header> <main id="main" class="main"> <div class="hero"> <div class="hero__background" style="background-image: url('images/hero-image.jpg')"></div> <div class="hero__content"> <div class="hero__content__wrapper"> <h2 class="text-no-transform"><em>Choosing Wisely®</em>: A watershed moment in health care</h2> <p> We are both proud of and humbled by all that it has accomplished. <em>Choosing Wisely</em> generated countless conversations in the exam room and across the health system, stimulated thousands of journal articles, inspired more than two dozen similar campaigns in other countries, and influenced many projects that explored ways to reduce overuse and unnecessary services and improve patient outcomes. </p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <h2 class="mb-5">Advanced the National Dialogue</h2> <div class="row mb-5"> <div class="col-12 col-lg-6 pe-lg-5"> <p> The goal of the ABIM Foundation’s <em>Choosing Wisely</em> campaign was to spark conversations between clinicians and patients about what tests, treatments, and procedures are needed – and which ones are not. </p> <p> It began in 2012 with nine national specialty societies (representing 375,000 clinicians) offering 45 examples of tests or treatments that were commonly used in their fields but lacked strong supporting evidence. Between 2012 and 2023, more than 80 specialty societies highlighted additional examples. While these examples are no longer maintained and available on this website, specialty societies are encouraged to publish individual lists. </p> </div> <div class="col-12 col-lg-6 mt-4 mt-lg-0 text-center"> <figure class="figure"> <img src="images/stock-photo-1.jpg" class="figure-img img-fluid" alt="Doctor holding hands with a patient" /> </figure> </div> </div> </div> <div class="section section--blue-with-decoration"> <div class="container"> <div class="row align-items-center"> <div class="col-12 col-lg-5 order-2 order-lg-1 mt-4 mt-lg-0"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-6"> <div class="text-center"> <figure class="figure"> <img src="images/wallet-card-1.jpg" class="figure-img img-fluid" alt="5 Questions to Ask Your Doctor Before You Get Any Test, Treatment or Procedure" /> </figure> <h2 class="heading--compact">Download</h2> <p class="d-grid gap-2 d-sm-block"> <a href="files/5-Questions_ENG.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm me-sm-1" aria-label="Download English PDF" > ENG <i class="fa-solid fa-file-pdf" aria-hidden="true"></i> </a> <a href="files/5-PREGUNTAS_ESP.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm" aria-label="Download Spanish PDF" > ESP <i class="fa-solid fa-file-pdf" aria-hidden="true"></i> </a> </p> </div> </div> <div class="col-6"> <div class="text-center"> <figure class="figure"> <img src="images/wallet-card-2.jpg" class="figure-img img-fluid" alt="Do you really need that medical test or treatment? The answer may be no." /> </figure> <h2 class="heading--compact">Download</h2> <p class="d-grid gap-2 d-sm-block"> <a href="files/Do-You-Need-That-Test_4x9-Eng.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm me-sm-1" aria-label="Download PDF in English" > ENG <i class="fa-solid fa-file-pdf" aria-hidden="true"></i> </a> <a href="files/Do-You-Need-That-Test_4x9-Sp.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm" aria-label="Download PDF in Spanish" > ESP <i class="fa-solid fa-file-pdf" aria-hidden="true"></i> </a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-12 col-lg-6 offset-lg-1 order-1 order-lg-2"> <p class="text--large-with-divider"> The campaign featured materials to help patients have conversations with their clinicians, and empower them to ask questions about what tests and treatments were right for them. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <div class="row mb-5"> <div class="col-12 col-lg-8 offset-lg-2 mb-2"> <h2>Engaged Organizations & Professionals on an International Scale</h2> </div> <div class="col-12"> <div class="section bg-light"> <div class="row row--col-dividers"> <div class="col-12 col-lg-4"> <div class="quick-fact quick-fact--blue"> <div class="quick-fact__icon"> <img src="images/icon-societies.svg" alt="" /> </div> <p> <span class="quick-fact__value">80+</span> <span class="quick-fact__desc">specialty society partners</span> </p> </div> </div> <div class="col-12 col-lg-4"> <div class="quick-fact quick-fact--green"> <div class="quick-fact__icon"> <img src="images/icon-tests.svg" alt="" /> </div> <p> <span class="quick-fact__value">700+</span> <span class="quick-fact__desc" >recommendations of tests and treatments that specialty societies said were overused or unnecessary</span > </p> </div> </div> <div class="col-12 col-lg-4"> <div class="quick-fact quick-fact--purple"> <div class="quick-fact__icon"> <img src="images/icon-globe.svg" alt="" /> </div> <p> <span class="quick-fact__value">30+</span> <span class="quick-fact__desc">countries reached</span> </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="d-flex flex-column align-items-center"> <p class="fs-5">Learn more about <em>Choosing Wisely’s</em> impact on health care:</p> <ul class="list--linked"> <li> <a href="files/Communicating-About-Overuse-to-Vulnerable-Population_Final2.pdf" target="_blank" > Communicating About Overuse with Vulnerable Populations </a> </li> <li> <a href="files/Final-Choosing-Wisely-Survey-Report.pdf" target="_blank"> Unnecessary Tests and Procedures in the Health Care System </a> </li> <li> <a href="files/Summary-Research-Report-Survey-2017.pdf" target="_blank"> DataBrief: Findings from a National Survey of Physicians </a> </li> <li> <a href="files/Choosing-Wisely-at-Five.pdf" target="_blank"> <em>Choosing Wisely</em>: A Special Report on the First Five Years </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="section section--purple-with-decoration"> <div class="container"> <div class="row text-center"> <div class="col-12 col-lg-10 offset-lg-1"> <h2>Changed Industry Mindsets and Influenced Policy</h2> <p class="mb-4 mx-lg-5"> <em>Choosing Wisely</em>’s impact has been mentioned in thousands of media articles and referenced in 300+ academic journal articles. </p> <div class="slider"> <div class="splide"> <div class="splide__track"> <ul class="splide__list"> <li class="splide__slide"> <div class="card-quote"> <figure class="card-quote__figure"> <blockquote class="blockquote"> <p> “[Patient welfare] is currently threatened by the unpredictable financial future of our health care system. But if patients and physicians choose wisely, trusting each other as they do so, our shared future may improve.” </p> </blockquote> <figcaption class="blockquote-footer"> <a href="https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2014/07000/engaging_physicians_and_consumers_in_conversations.17.aspx" target="_blank" > <cite title="Academic Medicine">Academic Medicine</cite> </a> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </li> <li class="splide__slide"> <div class="card-quote"> <figure class="card-quote__figure"> <blockquote class="blockquote"> <p> “Patients need trustworthy information to help them better understand that more care is not always better care, and in some cases can actually cause more harm than good.” </p> </blockquote> <figcaption class="blockquote-footer"> <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1150103" target="_blank" > <cite title="JAMA Viewpoint">JAMA Viewpoint</cite> </a> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </li> <li class="splide__slide"> <div class="card-quote"> <figure class="card-quote__figure"> <blockquote class="blockquote"> <p> “<em>Choosing Wisely</em> has created a principal pathway through which patients and their doctors can discuss when health care services may not be needed.” </p> </blockquote> <figcaption class="blockquote-footer"> <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0953" target="_blank" > <cite title="Health Affairs">Health Affairs</cite> </a> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </li> <li class="splide__slide"> <div class="card-quote"> <figure class="card-quote__figure"> <blockquote class="blockquote"> <p> “<em>Choosing Wisely</em> fosters the autonomy of patients, physicians and medical societies while building their capacity to talk about overuse in new ways and supporting them in adopting new behaviors as they find their own way forward.” </p> </blockquote> <figcaption class="blockquote-footer"> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213076416300173" target="_blank" > <cite title="Healthcare">Healthcare</cite> </a> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </li> <li class="splide__slide"> <div class="card-quote"> <figure class="card-quote__figure"> <blockquote class="blockquote"> <p> “<em>Choosing Wisely</em> might best be described as a tool that can help reduce overuse, but it still needs an actor to pick up the tool and use it.” </p> </blockquote> <figcaption class="blockquote-footer"> <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2793643" target="_blank" > <cite title="JAMA Viewpoint">JAMA Viewpoint</cite> </a> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </li> <li class="splide__slide"> <div class="card-quote"> <figure class="card-quote__figure"> <blockquote class="blockquote"> <p> “Interventions built on the <em>Choosing Wisely</em> recommendations can be effective at changing practice patterns to reduce the use of low-value care.” </p> </blockquote> <figcaption class="blockquote-footer"> <a href="https://www.milbank.org/quarterly/articles/the-impact-of-choosing-wisely-interventions-on-low-value-medical-services-a-systematic-review/" target="_blank" > <cite title="The Milbank Quarterly" >The Milbank Quarterly</cite > </a> </figcaption> </figure> </div> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="splide__arrows"> <button class="splide__arrow splide__arrow--prev"> <i class="fa-solid fa-chevron-left" aria-hidden="true"></i> <span class="visually-hidden">Prev</span> </button> <button class="splide__arrow splide__arrow--next"> <i class="fa-solid fa-chevron-right" aria-hidden="true"></i> <span class="visually-hidden">Next</span> </button> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container"> <div class="row mb-5"> <div class="col-12 col-lg-8 offset-lg-2 text-center mb-4"> <h2>Inspired Progress in Medical Training and Professional Development</h2> <p> Through the creation of training modules and programs like <em>Choosing Wisely</em> STARS, <em>Choosing Wisely</em> became a key tool in medical training and professional development. </p> </div> <div class="col-12 col-lg-6 mb-4 mb-lg-0 text-center"> <figure class="figure"> <img src="images/featured-resource.jpg" class="figure-img img-fluid" alt="Photo of a simulation tool developed by Kognito to build the skills of patients and health professionals" /> </figure> </div> <div class="col-12 col-lg-6 pe-lg-5"> <ul class="list--linked-external"> <li> <a href="https://edhub.ama-assn.org/steps-forward/module/2702596" target="_blank"> Promote Patient-Physician Conversations to Improve Patient Engagement and Choose Appropriate Care </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://dellmed.utexas.edu/education/academics/undergraduate-medical-education/learning-network/choosing-wisely" target="_blank" > <em>Choosing Wisely</em> STARS </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://essentialhospitals.org/cost-care/practice-briefs/" target="_blank"> Cost of Care Conversations: Practice Briefs </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.conversationsforhealth.com/antibiotics/" target="_blank"> How to Have Conversations About Avoiding Unnecessary Antibiotics </a> </li> <li> <a href="https://shmpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jhm.2425" target="_blank" > <em>Choosing Wisely</em>: Things We Do For No Reason </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="section section--teal-with-image mb-0"> <div class="container"> <div class="row align-items-center text-center"> <div class="col-12 col-lg-10 offset-lg-1"> <h2 class="text-no-transform"> The spirit of <em>Choosing Wisely</em> lives on in our continued work to improve health care </h2> <p class="mb-4"> With the increasing recognition of the role trust – or the lack thereof – plays in the quality of care patients receive, the ABIM Foundation is now focusing its efforts and resources on the Building Trust initiative. </p> <p class="d-grid gap-2 d-md-block"> <a href="https://abimfoundation.org/" target="_blank" class="btn 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