AGS Partners with ABIM Foundation’s Choosing Wisely® Campaign
“Physicians, working together with patients, can help ensure the right care is delivered at the right time for the right patient. We hope the Choosing Wisely lists kick off important conversations between patients and their physicians to help them make informed decisions about their health care.” Christine K. Cassel, MD, President and CEO, ABIM Foundation.
The AGS is pleased to be partnering with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation's Choosing Wisely® Campaign to help physicians, patients, and other healthcare stakeholders think about and discuss the overuse of healthcare resources in the U.S. The national campaign aims to help patients take a more involved role in their health care by learning to choose medical tests and treatments that are supported by scientific evidence, are not duplicative of past tests or procedures, and are truly necessary for diagnosis or treatment.
To date, nine medical specialty organizations have identified five tests or procedures commonly used in their field, whose necessity should be questioned and discussed. The resulting "Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question" will spark discussion about the need—or lack thereof—for many frequently ordered tests or treatments.
Now in its second phase, eight more societies, including the AGS, were invited to submit recommendations. An AGS workgroup, led by AGS Clinical Practice and Models of Care (CPMC) Committee Vice Chair, Paul Mulhausen, MD, was charged with development of AGS’ list. Workgroup members include: Audrey Chun, MD; Ariel Green, MD (fellow-in-training rep); Arthur Hayward, MD; Sei Lee, MD, MCR; Bruce Leff, MD, AGSF; Matthew McNabney, MD (CPMC Committee Chair); Pushpendra Sharma, MD, CMD; and Caroline Vitale, MD, AGSF. Roseanne Leipzig, MD, PhD; Sharon Levine, MD, and David Reuben, MD, also served in an advisory role.
After preliminary research on common tests given to older adults, the workgroup developed a survey to give the entire AGS membership an opportunity to weigh in on which treatments or procedures AGS should include in its list.
The survey was disseminated through the AGS website and weekly listserv, as well as the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs listserv, the GeriPal Blog, and the POGOe website. The survey yielded more than 130 submissions with feedback on over 325 individual treatments, procedures, and screenings. From there, the workgroup refined the list to 10 potential items, and then collected evidence and expert opinions that helped further refine the list to the final five submitted to the ABIM Foundation in early September.
The following criteria were considered throughout the list development process:
- Each test or procedure should be within the specialty’s purview and control;
- Procedures should be used frequently and/or carry a significant cost; and
- Evidence is needed to support each recommendation.
“AGS is pleased to support the Choosing Wisely campaign and its efforts to promote conversations between physicians and patients,” said Dr. Mulhausen, “Choosing Wisely complements AGS’ efforts to improve the quality and safety of healthcare for older patients through initiatives focused on quality measures, clinician competency, and guidance for clinicians in other specialties.”
The AGS list will be released in late 2012. Consumer Reports will assist in the dissemination of the AGS and other societies’ lists, in addition to the AGS’ own dissemination efforts. The AGS workgroup will be developing an article on the process for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, and an accompanying public education resource will be disseminated with the AGS list.
To learn more about AGS’ participation in the Choosing Wisely campaign, please contact Mary Jordan Samuel at mjsamuel@americangeriatrics.org.
These nine specialty societies have already released their lists of “Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question”
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- American College of Cardiology
- American College of Physicians
- American College of Radiology
- American Gastroenterological Association
- American Society of Clinical Oncology
- American Society of Nephrology
- American Society of Nuclear Cardiology
COMING SOON:
- American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine
- American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
- American College of Rheumatology
- American Geriatrics Society
- American Society for Clinical Pathology
- American Society of Echocardiography
- Society of Hospital Medicine
- Society of Nuclear Medicine
