Printed resources
General practitioner Dr Deb Harley in Geelong displays the Choosing Wisely 5 Questions in her consultation rooms and provides patients with a wallet-sized copy of the questions when she refers patients to specialist appointments.
Limited quantities of 5 Question wallet cards, A3 and A4 posters are available for order to use in your service.
Digital resources
After seeing the Choosing Wisely pandemic guidance video for consumers on social media, we have had requests for this video from Champion Health Services to display on screens around their hospitals.
Other popular Choosing Wisely videos include:
These videos (versions with and without subtitles) and printed resources are available free of charge upon request.
If you would like to request copies of our resources to display in your health service please email [email protected].
NPS MedicineWise is interested in how Choosing Wisely medication related recommendations are being implemented across the Australian health system. We are currently undertaking a review of medication related recommendations to help support the Choosing Wisely community to reduce unnecessary tests, treatments and procedures.
Activities don’t need to be official Choosing Wisely projects as long as they are aligned with reducing inappropriate medication use. These activities may be in hospitals, primary care or in transitions of care. They may include activities in education programs at medical colleges and universities, pilot projects in health services and system-wide changes at a district or state level.
As part of this review, we will also be evaluating the implementation of low-value care initiatives in order to showcase examples of good practice, inform future Choosing Wisely activities and guide the development of resources to support the Choosing Wisely community.
Email the Choosing Wisely team at [email protected] to share your work with us.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) has released four new recommendations on keratoconus, topical antibiotics, acute anterior uveitis, and topical steroids.
Read the recommendations here.
New Choosing Wisely Australia member the Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine (AChAM), in partnership with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians / EVOLVE, has published five new recommendations covering withdrawal management, treatments for substance use disorders, deprescribing of opioid treatment and psychoactive medications.
Read the recommendations here.
Are you Choosing Wisely during the pandemic?
Evidence-based information and a health-profession led response have been critical in managing the COVID-19 pandemic thus far, according to Dr Simon Judkins, an emergency physician working in Victoria at Austin Hospital – part of the Choosing Wisely Australia Champion Health Service network.
Ensuring that the right resources are being used and we're using them effectively and efficiently will also continue to be key, he says.
Dr Judkins is the latest guest to appear on the NPS MedicineWise podcast series for health professionals. In this episode he talks with NPS MedicineWise CEO Adj A/Prof Steve Morris about ‘choosing wisely’ during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Opioid Wisely at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
With the prescribing rates of opioids in Australia continuing to rise, the team from the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) in Western Australia have developed a new guideline and discharge form to support best-practice Choosing Wisely principles in opioid prescribing.
Read the full story here.
Reducing risks for patients with IV cannulas at Sunshine Coast University Hospital
A nurse and medical led quality project at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital emergency department (ED) to reduce antecubital fossa (ACF) inserted cannulas is delivering big benefits for patients. The project exemplifies Choosing Wisely principles of multidisciplinary, evidence-based, with a clear emphasis on improving quality of care and harm prevention.
Read the full story here.
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.