Choosing Wisely Canada

Choosing Wisely Canada is a health campaign initiated in Canada with the aim of helping physicians and patients engage in conversations about unnecessary tests, treatments, and procedures. The campaign is designed to help patients make smart and effective choices to ensure high-quality care.

Overview

Choosing Wisely Canada is part of a global initiative that began in the United States in 2012. The campaign is led by Canadian Medical Association in partnership with the University of Toronto. The goal of the campaign is to reduce unnecessary medical tests, treatments, and procedures, and to promote patient-physician conversations about what care is truly necessary.

Principles

The principles of Choosing Wisely Canada are based on the idea that more is not always better when it comes to healthcare. The campaign encourages physicians to:

• Not perform unnecessary tests or procedures
• Use evidence-based guidelines to determine the necessity of a test or procedure
• Engage patients in their care decisions
• Focus on quality of care, not quantity

Impact

Since its inception, Choosing Wisely Canada has had a significant impact on healthcare in Canada. It has led to a decrease in the use of unnecessary tests and procedures, and has increased patient engagement and satisfaction.

See also

• Evidence-based medicine
• Patient engagement
• Healthcare in Canada

References

• 
  Choosing Wisely Canada
• 
  Dr. Wendy Levinson, MD, OC
• 
  Choosing Wisely Canada List Development Process