Choosing Wisely Canada STARS

Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) is a growing national campaign involving all learners in medicine, which emphasizes the judicious yet evidence-based use of resources in the context of a universal healthcare system. The campaign was started in the United States in 2014 by the American Board of Internal Medicine as a way to tackle better resource stewardship and shared decision-making with patients. Dr. Wendy Levinson, a Professor of Medicine from the University of Toronto,

With the increasing financial constraints that burden the Canadian healthcare system, it is imperative that healthcare professionals and learners at all levels of training get relevant and timely access to evidence-based recommendations on resource stewardship (e.g. on the use of medications and diagnostic tests, etc.). The CWC campaign is rapidly growing in medical schools and allied professional institutions, and several events have been held in these institutions to increase the proactive stance of the medical community in promoting improved resource stewardship. In light of this, it is high time that we engage UofA medical students through events that have been previously held in other medical schools to be effective yet practical in introducing CWC concepts.

The Choosing Wisely Canada - UofA Initiative serves to further the education of learners in the healthcare profession by:

1. Advocating for increased integration of the curriculum

2. Holding interactive events that further the tenets and principles of Choosing Wisely Canada

3. Engaging the community of learners in medicine and its allied healthcare professions in learning about CWC and applying it to their education.

Currently, plans are underway in holding case-based learning sessions led by physician CWC champions, in order to better integrate CWC principles into the medical student curriculum. Further, block-specific events on CWC are also being planned to engage students on a timely basis.

Please visit our website for more information: https://www.albertadoctors.org/leaders-partners/choosing-wisely-alberta/about-choosing-wisely-alberta