Choose Wisely With Choosing Wisely®

What Is Choosing Wisely?

Choosing Wisely is a health initiative started by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation in coordination with several medical societies. It aims to promote conversations between clinicians and patients about what tests, treatments and procedures are needed – and which ones are not. The goal of these conversations is to help you choose care that is supported by evidence, free from harm, not duplicating other tests and procedures already received, and truly necessary for your care.

History of Choosing Wisely

It began in 2012 with nine national specialty societies (representing 375,000 clinicians) offering 45 examples of tests or treatments that were commonly used in their fields but lacked strong supporting evidence. Between 2012 and 2023, more than 80 specialty societies highlighted additional examples. There were as many as 120 topics and over 500 recommendations provided. While these examples are no longer maintained and available on the Choosing Wisely website, specialty societies are encouraged to publish individual lists of these recommendations.

What Questions Should You Ask?

Review this downloadable handout to discover reasons you may want to avoid medical tests and treatments you do not need.

Print the first page of this downloadable handout with questions to ask your doctor to help you determine which tests, treatments and procedures you may need – and which ones you don’t.