by Larry Beresford
On February 21 AAHPM, on behalf of its members and the specialty of hospice and palliative medicine, joined with 15 other medical societies to introduce Round Two of Choosing Wisely, a major national health care quality initiative sponsored by the ABIM Foundation. In a health care system undergoing rapid reforms, serious turmoil and escalating demands to raise quality and reduce costs, palliative care is often offered as a solution for providing appropriate care more in line with patients’ and families’ goals, with fewer unwanted and unhelpful treatments and, frequently, lower overall costs. But increasingly, HPM will be asked to show the evidence for the quality and efficiency of its own services, just like other sectors of health care.
The Choosing Wisely campaign challenges participating medical societies to name five treatments that are frequently performed but often unsupported by the medical evidence—and to share this list with their members and the public. AAHPM accepted that challenge, and took its place at the podium on February 21 with other societies concerned about their place in the health care value equation. The latest issue of AAHPM’s Quarterly newsletter describes how the academy developed its list, who participated in that work, and how academy members can join in the campaign in their own communities and facilities.
Now we’d like to hear from you. What do you think of the Academy’s Choosing Wisely list? Are there other treatments of questionable value that you think are equally deserving of quality improvement interventions to target unnecessary utilization? What is being done in your work setting to promote the goals and values of the Choosing Wisely campaign?
Larry Beresford is a freelance medical writer from Oakland, CA, who specializes in hospice and palliative care issues.