Choosing Wisely Campaign
Posted on February 12, 2014
More care is not always better care. A group of local health care leaders is working to raise awareness of overused medical care and encourage Massachusetts residents to talk with their doctors about what tests or treatments are right for them. It’s all part of the Choosing Wisely campaign which seeks to help patients and doctors think and talk about care that may be unnecessary.
Barbra Rabson, executive director of Massachusetts Health Quality Partners, which is leading the statewide effort, says that there are three key questions patients can ask their doctors:
“PATIENTS CAN START BY ASKING THEIR DOCTORS, ONE: WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF THE TEST, TREATMENT OR PROCEDURE BEING RECOMMENDED?; TWO: ARE THERE OTHER OPTIONS?; AND THREE: WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON’T DO ANYTHING? BY ASKING QUESTIONS AND HAVING A CONVERSATION, PATIENTS AND THEIR DOCTORS CAN WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THEY RECEIVE THE RIGHT CARE AT THE RIGHT TIME.”
Visit www.choosingwiselyma.org to learn more about how patients and providers in Massachusetts can think and talk about tests and procedures and when they may or may not be helpful.
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