Choosing Wisely
Choosing Wisely® is an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation. The Choosing Wisely Initiative aims to promote conversations between clinicians and patients by helping patients choose care that is:
- Supported by evidence
- Not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received
- Free from harm
- Truly necessary
Valley Preferred endorses Choosing Wisely and encourages physicians and clinicians to talk about the initiative with their patients.
To accomplish this, the Choosing Wisely website offers lists of “Things Providers and Patients Should Question,” representing recommendations from leading medical specialty societies. Free materials are available for distribution to patients. Video resources (below) are available to help health care providers engage patients in the conversation.
Increasing Health Care Value Through Conversation
On Ask-Five.com, we offer simple tools to help educate patients on what tests and procedures are right for them and what questions they should ask their provider.
- Proper use/prescribing of antibiotics, featuring Timothy Friel, MD, Chair of the Department of Medicine at Lehigh Valley Health Network.
- Back pain and MRIs, featuring Gary Tarola, DC, Chief of LVPG Chiropractic Medicine, and Chirag Kalola, MD.