PRACTICE PARTNER
For Smart Medicine,
Choose Wisely
By Stuart Foxman
A
Dr. Wendy Levinson
student says to the teacher, “Will
I get in trouble for something I
didn’t do?” The teacher says, “Of
course not.” The student replies,
“Great, I didn’t do my homework.”
Doctors do their homework. Ordering all
sorts of tests, treatments and procedures
can feel right and safe. Why do less?
However, all those interventions come
with possible side effects, which are
often underestimated.
“Being thorough, leaving no stone
unturned – the downside is it doesn’t
take into account the consequences of
doing more,” says, Dr. Wendy Levinson,
Chair of Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC).
The organization is the national voice for
reducing unnecessary tests and treatments in
health care. CWC explains that such superflu-
ous interventions:
• do not add value for patients;
• potentially expose patients to harm;
• lead to more testing to investigate false
positives;
• contribute to unwarranted stress for patients
and their families; and
• consume precious time and resources.
Will doctors get in trouble for something
they don’t do? That’s a concern for some,
acknowledges Dr. Levinson, a Professor of
Medicine at the University of Toronto. She
says doctors might wonder if their reluctance
to order a particular test or procedure might
result in a patient complaint to the CPSO.
ISSUE 1, 2019 DIALOGUE
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