Aim
The project addresses three problems: the prevalence of low-value care in general practice has not (yet) reliably been quantified; Choosing Wisely recommendations are not widely implemented; and many patients are inappropriately prescribed benzodiazepines in primary care settings.
Benefits
Low value care can be reduced by implementing Choosing Wisely recommendations in general practice. The exemplar of inappropriate benzodiazepine prescribing identifies three important facilitators: Linking interventions to existing initiatives (PIP QI) and processes (CQI); quick access to accurate, real-time data; and allocating adequate and appropriate resources.
Background
Public healthcare services worldwide, including in Queensland, face unprecedented challenges from an ageing population, increasing multimorbidity and constrained resources. Consequently, initiatives like Choosing Wisely are increasingly important to help improve the efficiency of health care and ensure a high-quality, safe and sustainable service. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) made 10 recommendations in 2015/16 about tests, treatments and procedures clinicians and consumers should question. However, the prevalence of low-value care associated with the recommendations are unknown, and the recommendations have not been systematically considered or implemented in primary care settings.
