The North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) is among the groups working with the North Carolina Healthcare Quality Alliance (NCHQA) to reduce the use of medical tests and treatments that the Choosing Wisely campaign has identified as overused. The effort, which began last March, is thanks to a grant from the ABIM Foundation and will enable NCHQA to build a multi-stakeholder alliance to reduce the use of:
- antibiotics to treat viral infections in adults;
- DEXA scans to measure bone density in women younger than 65 and men younger than 70;
- carotid artery stenosis screening in asymptomatic patients; and
- annual Pap tests for women between the ages of 30 and 65.
Duke Medicine and Cornerstone Health Care will each implement three Choosing Wisely recommendations aimed at reducing targeted tests and treatments by 20 percent over the three years of the grant. In addition, the NCMS, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and the State Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees will launch complementary efforts to educate clinicians and consumers in North Carolina about the problem of overuse and the Choosing Wisely campaign.
Duke Medicine is working to reduce (1) use of antibiotics for viral-based illnesses, (2) unnecessary use of DEXA screening for osteoporosis and (3) avoidable carotid artery stenosis screening.
Cornerstone’s Choosing Wisely efforts will focus on (1) use of antibiotics for viral-based illnesses (2) unnecessary DEXA screening and (3) avoidable Pap tests.
Be sure to watch the Bulletin for updates on each organization’s progress in these areas. Join the North Carolina Choosing Wisely campaign today by notifying NCHQA of your interest. Your organization will be added to the statewide partners list, and you will receive relevant articles and new materials as available. Learn more about the North Carolina initiative and the broader Choosing Wisely program here.