The ABIM Foundation awarded grants supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to 21 state medical societies, specialty societies, and regional health collaboratives. The grant awards will help physicians and patients find ways to reduce unnecessary tests and procedures. The grants will run until March 31, 2015. State medical societies and specialty societies will receive $50,000 and regional collaborative will receive $70,000.
The grants will extend the ABIM Foundation’s “Choosing Wisely®” campaign in communities encouraging physicians and patients to think and talk about medical tests and procedures that may be unnecessary and in some instances could cause harm. Since April 2012, 25 medical specialty societies have created lists of tests and procedures they say are overused or inappropriate.
“Choosing Wisely” grantees will work on projects to help educate practicing physicians on the recommendations from the specialty societies and help build physician communication skills to have conversations with patients about the care they need. Grantees will also participate in a learning network that will enable them to learn from one another and enhance the effectiveness of their programs.
Some of the grantee projects will enable:
- The Texas Medical Association to disseminate recommendations to more than 47,000 physicians and medical students
- The American Society of Echocardiography to build a mobile app that physicians can use to quickly search for recommendations
- The Better Health Greater Cleveland to disseminate recommendations through in-person educations sessions and initiate relationships with Northeast Ohio’s Medical Schools and residency programs
- The American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and the Massachusetts Medical Society to develop a web-based app to collect data on physician ordering patterns for cardiac imaging test and develop a site for physicians and patients so that patients can learn about nuclear cardiac imaging and radiation optimization
- Maine Quality Counts to do public and physician awareness campaigns using traditional means and social media to educate patients and physicians
For more information, go to www.abimfoundation.org.