Has Choosing Wisely® affected rates of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry use?

UNLABELLED: Reducing overuse of tests such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans in younger women is an important quality issue. We evaluated trends in DXA ordering before and after Choosing Wisely recommendations were released. We found no significant difference in ordering trends suggesting that other initiatives are needed to change behavior. INTRODUCTION: Reducing overuse of tests such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans in younger women is an important quality issue, but trends in care are difficult to change. We evaluated (1) trends in DXA ordering before and after the Choosing Wisely recommendation release and (2) patterns of key characteristics that indicate a potentially appropriate DXA scan order. METHODS: We performed a retrospective longitudinal analysis of electronic health record data at a multi-specialty, ambulatory care network of 34 practices across Maryland and Washington, DC. Since the Choosing Wisely DXA recommendation was released April 2012, the study periods were April-December 2011 (pre-initiative) and April-December 2012 (post-initiative). Women between 50 and 64 years with primary care encounters, and primary care providers who saw ten or more women in the study population in both pre and post periods were included. RESULTS: For 42,320 eligible patients, the mean provider ordering rate was 2.6 % pre-initiative and 2.0 % post-initiative; there was no significant difference in trend over time. Over 70 % of the population had no characteristics associated with potentially appropriate DXA ordering. Low body mass index, current smoker status, and osteopenia were the most common characteristics indicating potentially appropriate DXA orders. Patients with any of these three characteristics had DXA ordering rates between 3-20 %. CONCLUSIONS: The trend in provider ordering rates of DXA scans did not decrease after the release of the DXA Choosing Wisely recommendation. Targeted initiatives addressing providers with high ordering rates will be needed to change behavior.

Making health care safer II: an updated critical analysis of the evidence for patient safety practices.

OBJECTIVES: To review important patient safety practices for evidence of effectiveness, implementation, and adoption. DATA SOURCES: Searches of multiple computerized databases, gray literature, and the judgments of a 20-member panel of patient safety stakeholders. REVIEW METHODS: The judgments of the stakeholders were used to prioritize patient safety practices for review, and to select which practices received in-depth reviews and which received brief reviews. In-depth reviews consisted of a formal literature search, usually of multiple databases, and included gray literature, where applicable. In-depth reviews assessed practices on the following domains: • How important is the problem? • What is the patient safety practice? • Why should this practice work? • What are the beneficial effects of the practice? • What are the harms of the practice? • How has the practice been implemented, and in what contexts? • Are there any data about costs? • Are there data about the effect of context on effectiveness? We assessed individual studies for risk of bias using tools appropriate to specific study designs. We assessed the strength of evidence of effectiveness using a system developed for this project. Brief reviews had focused literature searches for focused questions. All practices were then summarized on the following domains: scope of the problem, strength of evidence for effectiveness, evidence on potential for harmful unintended consequences, estimate of costs, how much is known about implementation and how difficult the practice is to implement. Stakeholder judgment was then used to identify practices that were "strongly encouraged" for adoption, and those practices that were "encouraged" for adoption. RESULTS: From an initial list of over 100 patient safety practices, the stakeholders identified 41 practices as a priority for this review: 18 in-depth reviews and 23 brief reviews. Of these, 20 practices had their strength of evidence of effectiveness rated as at least "moderate," and 25 practices had at least "moderate" evidence of how to implement them. Ten practices were classified by the stakeholders as having sufficient evidence of effectiveness and implementation and should be "strongly encouraged" for adoption, and an additional 12 practices were classified as those that should be "encouraged" for adoption. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence supporting the effectiveness of many patient safety practices has improved substantially over the past decade. Evidence about implementation and context has also improved, but continues to lag behind evidence of effectiveness. Twenty-two patient safety practices are sufficiently well understood, and health care providers can consider adopting them now.