Choosing Wisely Australia pandemic guidance
The Choosing Wisely principles have been a pillar during Australia’s COVID-19 pandemic response.
Our health system has come together for a common goal and purpose to manage the pandemic. Health professionals have had to be stewards of our finite health resources. Multidisciplinary teams have united to adopt an evidence-based, patient-centred approach. As a result, our health system has adapted in ways and with urgency unseen before.
To assist clinicians and consumers to access reliable information about the pandemic we’ve developed specific pandemic guidance, which is based on current evidence and will continue to be updated as evidence evolves over time.
Hospital resource addresses patient opioid knowledge gap
A recent scientific paper published in the ANZ Journal of Surgery found that patients are not provided with sufficient information when discharged from a hospital with opioids—but the Choosing Wisely 'Managing pain and opioid medicines' resource for use in hospitals is helping address this patient knowledge gap.
The research paper explored GPs’ opinions around information provided to patients discharged with opioids from an Australian metropolitan hospital. The study found that these patients often had false expectations that they would be pain-free with opioids, they did not understand the risks around opioids, and they expected to continue to use opioids indefinitely.
A new survey* released by NPS MedicineWise in June also supported the paper’s findings, with, for example, only 37% of respondents knowing that using an opioid in the long term can actually make the pain worse.
Get to know the Choosing Wisely Australia team
Earlier this year at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown, Scott Walsberger joined NPS MedicineWise as the Choosing Wisely Australia Lead, navigating the new role entirely virtually.
In this role, Scott engages with the specialist colleges, the health sector, and consumer groups to develop and implement the Choosing Wisely strategy.
He has a Master of Public Health from UNSW and has worked across prevention, early detection, patient support and research of chronic diseases.
Scott joins the larger Choosing Wisely Australia team, which also includes Health Services Lead, Anne-Marie Martin.
Anne-Marie is a Consultant Pharmacist and NPS MedicineWise Educational Visitor who provides educational visits to general practitioners and other health professionals in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. In her Choosing Wisely role, Anne-Marie coordinates the 39 Champion Health Services across Australia to support them with implementation of the Choosing Wisely initiative. She hosts monthly webinars for the health services to showcase their Choosing Wisely projects and connects the network to share learnings and resources with each other.
Her favourite part of both roles is speaking to and collaborating with professionals who are driven to improve healthcare for everyone.
Stewardship toolkit for clinical educators
The Health Resource Stewardship for Clinical educators contains educational material about the Choosing Wisely initiative for use in universities, hospitals and health professional colleges
5 Questions
5 questions to ask your doctor or other healthcare provider to make sure you end up with the right amount of care.