30 JANUARY 2015
CHOOSING WISELY AUSTRALIA LAUNCHING IN 2015

Australia’s medical community will unite in 2015 for a new initiative – Choosing Wisely Australia®.

Peak medical colleges and consumer groups will collaborate in this national initiative to improve the quality of healthcare and facilitate better conversations between clinicians and consumers.

The initiative identifies tests, treatments and procedures that are commonly used but can often provide no or limited benefit to the patient and in some cases, lead to harm. Improving conversations about medical tests and other procedures will help support quality healthcare through appropriate use and improved patient safety.

Lists of tests, treatments and procedures that should be considered or questioned will be developed by participating medical colleges and societies. These will help facilitate optimal healthcare.

Choosing Wisely Australia is facilitated by NPS MedicineWise, an independent, not-for-profit, evidence-based organisation that promotes quality use of medicines and medical tests. Importantly, the Choosing Wisely initiative is health profession-led.

Choosing Wisely Australia is modelled on the successful Choosing Wisely campaign in the United States launched in April 2012 by the American Board of Internal Medicine’s ABIM Foundation, and Choosing Wisely Canada, launched in April 2014. Many countries around the world are currently adopting the campaign. More information about the international success of Choosing Wisely is available here.

The full list of participating medical organisations and further information will be provided ahead of the launch of Choosing Wisely Australia in the first half of 2015.

The official twitter handle for the initiative @ChooseWiselyAu is now active and will provide updates as the launch approaches.