As Part of Choosing Wisely Campaign, SGIM Releases Updated List of Commonly Used Tests and Treatments to Question
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January 17, 2023
Group aims to encourage physician and patient conversations by identifying five tests or procedures to question, highlighting potentially unnecessary—sometimes harmful—care in general internal medicine.
The Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) released today a revised list of specific tests or procedures that are commonly ordered but not always necessary in general internal medicine as part of the Choosing Wisely® campaign, an initiative of the ABIM Foundation. The list identifies five targeted, evidence-based recommendations that can support conversations between patients and physicians about what care is really necessary. “SGIM is delighted to continue supporting the Choosing Wisely campaign,” said SGIM CEO Eric B. Bass, MD, MPH. “We believe that general internists have an important role to play in helping patients make informed decisions about tests and procedures that may otherwise be used too often. We are happy to update these recommendations to ensure that they are consistent with the latest evidence on the topics.”
SGIM’s list has updated the following five recommendations, based on a review of the most recent studies in the field:
- Don’t recommend daily home glucose monitoring in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus not using insulin.
- Don’t perform routine annual checkups unless patients are likely to benefit; the frequency of checkups should be based on individual risk factors and preferences. During checkups, don’t conduct comprehensive physical exams or routine lab testing.
- Don’t perform routine pre-operative testing before low-risk surgical procedures.
- Don’t recommend cancer screening in adults with life expectancy of less than 10 years.
- Don't place, or leave in place, peripherally inserted central catheters for patient or provider convenience.
The SGIM Choosing Wisely list of revised recommendations was developed after months of careful consideration and review, using the most current evidence about management and treatment options. An ad hoc committee of SGIM was impaneled, taking advantage of the
clinical expertise of members from the Clinical Practice Committee, Ethics Committee and Evidence-Based Medicine Task Force within the Society. The topics were originally chosen in 2013 to meet the goals of the Choosing Wisely® campaign, based on the strength of the existing evidence, the unique standing members of the Society have in addressing the topics selected, as well as contributions the recommendations would make in terms of patient safety, quality and economic impact. SGIM's recommendations were last updated in 2017.
To learn more about Choosing Wisely and to view the complete lists and additional detail about the recommendations and evidence supporting them, visit www.ChoosingWisely.org.
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About The ABIM Foundation The ABIM Foundation’s mission is to advance medical professionalism to improve the health care system by collaborating with physicians and physician leaders, medical trainees, health care delivery systems, payers, policymakers, 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®
The Choosing Wisely initiative continues to help patients choose care that is supported by evidence and is truly necessary, however, ABIM Foundation’s focus has evolved to include issues of trust in health care and how trust contributes to better health care outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, and greater physician well-being. Learn more at www.ChoosingWisely.org.
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The Society of General Internal Medicine is a member-based international medical association of more than 3,000 of the world's leading academic general internists, who are dedicated to improving access to care for vulnerable populations, eliminating health care disparities and enhancing medical education. SGIM strives to be the professional home for innovators and scholars in academic general internal medicine leading the way to better health for everyone. The members of the Society advance the practice of medicine through their commitment to providing comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective care to adults, educating the next generation of outstanding physicians, and conducting cutting-edge research to improve quality of care and clinical outcomes of all patients. www.sgim.org. Follow SGIM on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn