BBC Calls on AMDA President to Talk About Choosing Wisely Experience in the US

Columbia, MD – AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA) President Naushira Pandya, MD, CMD, was recently interviewed on BBC Radio’s “The Report” in an episode focusing on the start of a new health care initiative in the United Kingdom. AMDA is a proud partner in the ABIM Foundation’s Choosing Wisely campaign, an initiative aimed at: encouraging conversation among health care practitioners, patients, and other stakeholders; improving quality of care; and reducing costs. AMDA is one of more than 70 specialty societies in the United States to produce recommendations of medical tests and procedures that may be unnecessary or even cause harm in their respective specialties. Choosing Wisely was a national initiative until 2014. Campaigns can now be found in Canada, Japan, Australia, and most recently the United Kingdom.

The focus of the campaign is one that needs more attention in the United Kingdom, as the host of the show reported that last week eight out of 10 general practitioners admitted they had given treatments their patients didn’t need. He also noted that from 2003-2006 there was an average 10% year on year increase in lab tests, and nothing to suggest that demand has since decreased.

Dr. Pandya provided a multi-national perspective as she began her medical career in London, where she said, “At that time less technology was available, but I think we were very thoughtful about what we did.” When she arrived in the United States she said that conducting many tests was routine. “And now we’re questioning the things that we used to routinely do for older people,” she said. “So for me professionally, it has gone full circle.”

While Choosing Wisely began with the development of recommendations from physicians, the real goal was to have the patients and other stakeholders involved and engaged in decision making as well. Dr. Pandya thinks it’s working and says she’s having more conversations about care choices with patients. “They’re looking at cost,” she commented. “I’m having many more conversations; we’re having discussions both ways.”

AMDA looks forward to continuing to work closely with the ABIM Foundation and all other partners on the Choosing Wisely campaign. Listen to the program here. Learn more about AMDA’s Choosing Wisely recommendations here.

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AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine is dedicated to excellence in patient care and provides education, advocacy, information and professional development to promote the delivery of quality post-acute and long-term care medicine.