ABIM Foundation and National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions Announce Choosing Wisely® Collaboration

WASHINGTON – Feb. 20, 2018 – New and expanded partnerships are critical to the continued success and spread of the Choosing Wisely® campaign, which promotes conversations between clinicians and patients about overuse and responsible stewardship of resources in healthcare. To that end, the ABIM Foundation is teaming up with the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions to expand the program throughout its network of business coalitions, representing more than 12,000 purchasers and 45 million Americans.

"It's critical that we continue the national dialogue to avoid unnecessary medical tests, treatments, and procedures," said Michael Thompson, president and CEO of the National Alliance. "Our employer/purchaser coalition members are in the unique position to develop best practices relative to Choosing Wisely recommendations, push for increased communication between patients and physicians in their communities, and support a research agenda that measures the impact of these efforts."

The National Alliance is a natural fit for partnering with the ABIM Foundation as many of its coalition members across the country are already engaged in promoting Choosing Wisely, including the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health, Rhode Island Business Group on Health, St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition and Well OK.

Through its national network of business health coalition members, the National Alliance will disseminate information and encourage use of Choosing Wisely by employers and their employees and family members. Planned activities include convening a consumer/purchaser advisory committee to enhance Choosing Wisely dissemination strategies to improve care and reduce unnecessary procedures/treatments, and measurement of outcomes around educational promotion of Choosing Wisely recommendations that have the most significant impact to employers (e.g. overuse of imaging).

"We are delighted by the opportunities present in this new partnership for the Choosing Wisely campaign," said Richard J. Baron, MD, President and CEO of the ABIM Foundation. "The National Alliance and its network across the country provide a new and vitally important avenue of outreach to advance conversations about overuse in health care."

In late 2017, the ABIM Foundation released Choosing Wisely: A Special Report On The First Five Years to outline the many ways the program is inspiring conversations, projects and collaborations to reduce overuse in health care.

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About ABIM Foundation
The mission of the ABIM Foundation is to advance medical professionalism to improve the health care system. This is achieved by collaborating with physicians and physician leaders, medical trainees, health care delivery systems, payers, policy makers, consumer organizations and patients to foster a shared understanding of professionalism and how they can adopt the tenets of professionalism in practice. To learn more about the ABIM Foundation, visit www.abimfoundation.org, connect on Facebook or follow on Twitter.

About Choosing Wisely®
First announced in December 2011, Choosing Wisely® is part of a multi-year effort led by the ABIM Foundation to support and engage physicians in being better stewards of finite health care resources. Participating specialty societies are working with the ABIM Foundation to share the lists widely with their members and convene discussions about the physician's role in helping patients make wise choices. Learn more at www.ChoosingWisely.org.

About National Alliance
The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions is a nonprofit network of business coalitions, representing more than 12,000 purchasers and 45 million Americans. The National Alliance is dedicated to driving innovation, health, and value along with its coalition members through the collective action of public and private purchasers. The organization seeks to accelerate the nation's progress toward safe, efficient, high-quality healthcare and the improved health status of the American population. To learn more, visit nationalalliancehealth.org or connect with us on Twitter or LinkedIn.