BMJ 2015;350:h2308 (12 May 2015)
- The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges is launching a Choosing Wisely programme along the lines of the US initiative to get doctors to stop using interventions with no benefit.
- To ensure the development of a Choosing Wisely culture in clinical practice, the academy suggests:
- Doctors should provide patients with resources that increase their understanding about potential harms of interventions and help them accept that doing nothing can often be the best approach
- Patients should be encouraged to ask questions such as, “Do I really need this test or procedure? What are the risks? Are there simpler safer options? What happens if I do nothing?”
- Medical schools should ensure that students develop a good understanding of risk alongside critical evaluation of the literature and transparent communication. Students should be taught about overuse of tests and interventions. Organisations responsible for postgraduate and continuing medical education should ensure that practising doctors receive the same education
- Commissioners should consider a different payment incentive for doctors and hospitals.
- An American study published in BMJ has demonstrated only modest success so far. See BMJ 2015;351:h5437 (Available through NHS Open Athens)
- Follow "Choose Wisely" research on PubMed.
