Prescriber-led practice changes that can bolster antimicrobial stewardship in community health care settings.

Stabilizing the emerging resistance of antibiotics depends on our ability to practise appropriate antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Over 90% of antibiotics dispensed for human use are prescribed in community health care settings rather than in hospitals, with the main prescribers being family physicians, dentists, pharmacists and nurse practitioners working across a broad range of private offices, family health teams, urgent care clinics, emergency departments and long-term care homes. To improve the reach of AMS in community health care settings, the Public Health Agency of Canada partnered with Choosing Wisely Canada in 2017 to develop a focused campaign titled Using Antibiotics Wisely. This campaign is led by the prescribers of antibiotics themselves, who work in community health care settings and are better equipped to identify the specific changes that would support more appropriate use of antibiotics. This article describes these practice changes, the strengths and challenges of Using Antibiotics Wisely and future opportunities to further advance AMS across community health care settings.

A Patient-focused Information Design Intervention to Support the Minor Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBI) Choosing Wisely Canada Recommendation.

Introduction The first Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) recommendation for Emergency Medicine states: "Don't order CT head scans in adults and children who have suffered minor head injuries (unless positive for a validated head injury clinical decision rule)". In order to provide patients with information on the risks and benefits of computed tomography (CT) scans in minor traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) and to encourage discussions between patients and their doctor, we designed a patient-focused mTBI infographic for the emergency department (ED). Methods Stakeholders worked with content experts to co-design the infographic, which was posted in two emergency department (ED) waiting rooms. A survey was administered to evaluate whether the infographic influenced patient beliefs about the risks and benefits of CT scans and to gauge patient willingness to have a discussion with their doctor about the necessity of a scan. Results One hundred fifteen patients completed the survey. Prior to participating, 38% of patients thought a CT after an mTBI was always a good idea and 60% thought it was sometimes a good idea. After viewing the poster, 87% of respondents stated they better understood when a CT scan may be appropriate, 93% felt they better understood the risks of CT scans, and 76% understood that their doctor can often rule out serious illness without a CT scan. Only 19% of patients still felt that a CT was always necessary after an mTBI. Conclusions The mTBI infographic changed patient perceptions regarding the need for CT scans and increased awareness of the indications and risks of CT scans. This study demonstrates that targeted patient education materials can help support CWC recommendations.

Learners as Leaders: A Global Groundswell of Students Leading Choosing Wisely Initiatives in Medical Education.

Resource stewardship and reducing low-value care have emerged as urgent priorities for health care delivery systems worldwide. However, few medical schools' curricula include adequate content to allow learners to master the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to contribute to this transformation toward value-based health care. This article describes a program to launch student-led curriculum enhancement initiatives in 7 countries. The program, called STARS (Students and Trainees Advocating for Resource Stewardship), was inspired by Choosing Wisely, a campaign by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation that seeks to promote conversations on avoiding unnecessary medical tests, treatments, and procedures.The initial STARS model, which originated in Canada in 2015, included a leadership summit, where students from multiple medical schools learned about Choosing Wisely principles, leadership, and advocacy. These students then led grassroots efforts at their local medical schools with faculty and other students to raise awareness and advocate for changes related to resource stewardship. Student-led efforts resulted in the integration of Choosing Wisely principles into case-based learning, the creation of student interest groups and electives, the launch of social media campaigns, and the organization of special presentations by local experts.The rapid spread of similar programs in 6 other countries (Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and the United States) by 2018 suggests that STARS resonates across multiple settings and signals the potential for such a model to advance other important areas in medical education. This article documents results and lessons learned from the first 4 years of the program.

Choosing Wisely campaigns globally: A shared approach to tackling the problem of overuse in healthcare.

Choosing Wisely, a campaign which launched in the United States in 2012, has now spread to over 20 countries around the world. Choosing Wisely campaigns share a core set of principles, which inform how campaigns operate and engage with physicians, clinicians, patients, and other stakeholders. This article will address the origins and motivation of Choosing Wisely campaigns, and what factors have supported their spread. It will also discuss how leaders of Choosing Wisely campaigns are collaborating on shared priorities.

Choosing Wisely Canada Students and Trainees Advocating for Resource Stewardship (STARS) campaign: a descriptive evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Resource stewardship is being increasingly recognized as an essential competency for physicians, but medical schools are just beginning to integrate this into education. We describe the evaluation of Choosing Wisely Canada's Students and Trainees Advocating for Resource Stewardship (STARS) campaign, a student-led campaign to advance resource stewardship education in medical schools across Canada. METHODS: We evaluated the campaign 6 months after its launch, in November 2015. STARS students were administered a telephone survey eliciting a description of the initiatives that they had implemented or planned to implement at their schools to promote resource stewardship, and exploring their perceptions of facilitators of and barriers to successful implementation of their initiatives. We used a mixed-methods approach to analyze and summarize the data. RESULTS: Twenty-seven (82%) of the 33 eligible students representing all 17 medical schools responded. In 14 schools (82%), students led various local activities (e.g., interest groups, campaign weeks) to raise awareness about resource stewardship among medical students and faculty. Students contributed to curriculum change (both planned and implemented) at 10 schools (59%). Thematic analysis revealed key program characteristics that facilitated success (e.g., pan-Canadian student network, local faculty champion) as well as barriers to implementing change (e.g., complex processes to change curriculum, hierarchical nature of medical school). INTERPRETATION: This student-led campaign, with support from local faculty and Choosing Wisely Canada staff, led to awareness-building activities and early curricula change at medical schools across Canada. Future plans will build on the initial momentum created by the STARS campaign to sustain and spread local initiatives.

Choosing Wisely for Medical Education: Six Things Medical Students and Trainees Should Question.

PROBLEM: Physician behaviors that promote overuse of health care resources develop early in training, and the medical education environment helps foster such behaviors. The authors describe the development of a Choosing Wisely list for medical students aimed at helping to curb overuse. APPROACH: The list was developed in 2015 by Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) in partnership with the Canadian Federation of Medical Students and the Fédération médicale étudiante du Québec, which together represent all medical students in Canada. CWC convened a student-led taskforce to develop recommendations targeting medical student behaviors with respect to resource stewardship practices. Students at all 17 Canadian medical schools were consulted via an online questionnaire to solicit feedback on a list of 10 candidate recommendations. The taskforce used this student feedback in finalizing the list. OUTCOMES: The final list of "Six Things That Medical Students and Trainees Should Question" highlights both behaviors students should avoid (e.g., "Don't suggest ordering the most invasive test before considering other less invasive options") and behaviors related to aspects of medical training that may promote overuse, such as the hierarchical nature of clinical supervision (e.g., "Don't hesitate to ask for clarification on tests, treatments, or procedures that you believe may be ordered inappropriately"). Based on student requests for illustrative examples, clinical vignettes were developed. NEXT STEPS: This list highlights medical student behaviors and aspects of the academic environment that drive overuse. It is also relevant to faculty, whose behaviors and supervision practices influence trainees.