About the Choosing Wisely Initiative

An initiative of the ABIM Foundation, Choosing Wisely is working to spark conversations between providers and patients to ensure the right care is delivered at the right time. Participating organizations have created lists of "Things Providers and Patients Should Question" which include evidence based recommendations that should be discussed to help make wise decisions about the most appropriate care based on a patient's individual situation.

Through the Choosing Wisely campaign, the American Academy of Nursing has developed a list of "Ten Things Nurses and Patients Should Question" to help promote conversations between providers and patients that will help patients choose care that is:

Supported by evidence
Not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received
Free from harm
Truly Necessary

Download the American Academy of Nursing's announcement on its engagement in National Choosing Wisely® Campaign.

The Academy has partnered with Consumer Reports to translate its Choosing Wisely list into engaging brochures for consumers to reference for common health practices and treatments. The first two brochures developed from the Academy’s first set of five recommendations have been released and are listed below. Read the press release about this partnership.

Academy and Consumer Reports Choosing Wisely brochures:

The Ten Things Nurses and Patients Should Question Click to download the list as a PDF

	Don’t automatically initiate continuous electronic fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring during labor for women without risk factors; consider intermittent auscultation (IA) first. Continuous electronic FHR monitoring during labor, a routine procedure in many hospitals, is associated with an increase in cesarean and instrumental births without improving Apgar score, NICU admission or intrapartum fetal death rates. IA allows women more freedom of movement during labor, enhancing their ability to cope with labor pain and utilize gravity to promote labor progress. Upright positions and walking have been associated with shorter duration of first stage labor, fewer cesareans and reduced epidural use. Read More...
	Don’t let older adults lie in bed or only get up to a chair during their hospital stay. Up to 65% of older adults who are independent in their ability to walk will lose their ability to walk during a hospital stay. Walking during the hospital stay is critical for maintaining functional ability in older adults. Loss of walking independence increases the length of hospital stay, the need for rehabilitation services, new nursing home placement, risk for falls both during and after discharge from the hospital, places higher demands on caregivers and increases the risk of death for older adults. Bed rest or limited walking (only sitting up in a chair) during a hospital stay causes deconditioning and is one of the primary factors for loss of walking independence in hospitalized older adults. Older adults who walk during their hospital stay are able to walk farther by discharge, are discharged from the hospital sooner, have improvement in their ability to independently perform basic activities of daily living, and have a faster recovery rate after surgery. Read More...
	Don’t use physical restraints with an older hospitalized patient. Restraints cause more problems than they solve, including serious complications and even death. Physical restraints are most often applied when behavioral expressions of distress and/or a change in medical status occur. These situations require immediate assessment and attention, not restraint. Safe, quality care without restraints can be achieved when multidisciplinary teams and/or geriatric nurse experts help staff anticipate, identify and address problems; family members or other caregivers are consulted about the patient’s usual routine, behavior and care; systematic observation and assessment measures and early discontinuation of invasive treatment devices are implemented; staff are educated about restraints and the organizational culture and structure support restraint-free care. Read More...
	Don’t wake the patient for routine care unless the patient’s condition or care specifically requires it. Studies show sleep deprivation negatively affects breathing, circulation, immune status, hormonal function and metabolism. Sleep deprivation also impacts the ability to perform physical activities and can lead to delirium, depression and other psychiatric impairments. Multiple environmental factors affect a hospitalized person’s ability for normal sleep. Factors include noise, patient care activities and patient-related factors such as pain, medication and co-existing health conditions. Read More...
	Don’t place or maintain a urinary catheter in a patient unless there is a specific indication to do so. Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are among the most common health care-associated infections in the United States. Most CAUTIs are related to urinary catheters so the infections can largely be prevented by reduced use of indwelling urinary catheters and catheter removal as soon as possible. CAUTIs are responsible for an increase in U.S. health care costs and can lead to more serious complications in hospitalized patients. Read More...
	Don’t use aloe vera on skin to prevent or treat radiodermatitis. Radiodermatitis can cause patient pain and pruritus that affect quality of life, body image and sleep. Severe radiodermatitis can necessitate dose reductions or treatment delays that negatively impact the ability to adequately treat the cancer. The incidence of radiodermatitis can be as high 95% depending upon the population of patients receiving treatment. Studies documenting incidence have primarily occurred in women receiving treatment for breast cancer.Many Internet sites market aloe to individuals for what is commonly termed “sunburn type” reactions from radiation therapy. Research evidence shows that aloe vera is not beneficial for the prevention or treatment of radiodermatitis, and one study reported worse patient outcomes with use of aloe vera. Patients undergoing radiation therapy need to know that aloe vera should not be used to prevent or treat skin reactions from radiation therapy, since it has been shown to be ineffective and has the potential to make skin reactions worse. Read More...
	Don’t use L-carnitine/acetyl-L-carnitine supplements to prevent or treat symptoms of peripheral neuropathy in patients receiving chemotherapy for treatment of cancer. Peripheral neuropathy is a chronic side effect of some chemotherapeutic agents. This can be a significant quality of life issue for patients, affecting functional ability and comfort. In the public realm, numerous Internet sites that sell herbal and dietary supplements have specifically recommended L-carnitine/acetyl-L-carnitine for symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. This supplement is available without a physician prescription. Evidence not only has shown use of carnitine supplements to be ineffective, but research also has shown it may make symptoms worse. Current professional guidelines contain a strong recommendation against the use of L-carnitine for prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Nurses need to educate patients not to use this dietary supplement while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Read More...
	Don’t neglect to advise patients with cancer to get physical activity and exercise during and after treatment to manage fatigue and other symptoms. During treatment for cancer, up to 99% of patients will have fatigue and many individuals continue to experience persistent fatigue for years after completion of treatment. It is the natural tendency for people to try to get more rest when feeling fatigued and health care providers have traditionally been educated about the importance of getting rest and avoiding strenuous activity when ill. In contrast to these traditional views, resistance and aerobic exercise have been shown to be safe, feasible and effective in reducing symptoms of fatigue during multiple phases of cancer care. Exercise has also been shown to have a positive effect on symptoms of anxiety and depression. Current professional guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate-level exercise such as fast-walking, cycling or swimming per week along with 2-3 strength training sessions per week, unless specifically contraindicated. Read More...
	Don’t use mixed medication mouthwash, commonly termed “magic mouthwash,” to prevent or manage cancer treatment-induced oral mucositis. Oral mucositis is a painful and debilitating side effect of some chemotherapeutic agents and radiation therapy that includes the oral mucosa in the treatment field. Painful mucositis impairs the ability to eat and drink fluids and impacts quality of life. Oral mucositis can result in the need for hospitalization for pain control and provision of total parenteral nutrition in order to maintain adequate nutritional intake during cancer treatment. Mixed medication mouthwash, also commonly known by other names such as “magic mouthwash,” “Duke’s magic mouthwash,” or “Mary’s magic mouthwash,” is commonly used to prevent or treat oral mucositis. These are often compounded by a pharmacy, are expensive and may not be covered by health insurance. Research has shown that magic mouthwash was reported to cause taste changes, irritating local side effects and is no more effective than salt and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) rinses. Instead, frequent and consistent oral hygiene and use of salt or soda mouth rinses can be used. Read More...
	Don’t administer supplemental oxygen to relieve dyspnea in patients with cancer who do not have hypoxia. Reports of the prevalence of dyspnea range from 21 to 90% overall among patients with cancer, and the prevalence and severity of dyspnea increase in the last six months of life, regardless of cancer diagnosis. Supplemental oxygen therapy is commonly prescribed to relieve dyspnea in people with advanced illness despite arterial oxygen levels within normal limits, and has been seen as standard care. Supplemental oxygen is costly and there are multiple safety risks associated with use of oxygen equipment. People also experience functional restriction and may have some distress from being attached to a device. Palliative oxygen (administration in nonhypoxic patients) has consistently been shown not to improve dyspnea in individual studies and systematic reviews. Rather than use a costly and ineffective intervention for dyspnea, care should be focused on those interventions which have demonstrated efficacy such as immediate release opioids. Read More...

References and Participants

For a comprehensive list of references and participants from the American Academy of Nursing, please Click Here. Or to learn more about the ABIM Foundation, please visit www.abimfoundation.org.