WASHINGTON, CMC – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says it has entered into a new partnership with Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) to address excessive or unnecessary testing and treatment in Latin America and the Caribbean.
PAHO said that the collaboration aims to advance evidence-based healthcare practices, enhance quality of care, and improve patient safety across the region.
PAHO Assistant Director Dr. Rhonda Sealey-Thomas and Dr. Wendy Levinson, Chair of Choosing Wisely Canada, signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU), formalizing the five-year partnership.
“This partnership represents a significant step forward in our efforts to strengthen healthcare systems in the Americas,” said Dr. Sealey-Thomas.
“By collaborating with Choosing Wisely Canada, PAHO can leverage their expertise to optimize resource utilization in hospitals and health centers across the region and improve patient outcomes.”
The Chair of Choosing Wisely Canada said, “Strengthening our partnerships to address the global issue of overuse is a crucial step towards improving health systems and delivering better patient care,
“By establishing stronger networks, we can advance our collective efforts to improve quality and safety in care and promote best practices in healthcare delivery,” Dr. Levinson added.
PAHO said that healthcare overuse is a global issue marked by the frequent overuse of tests and treatments that do not benefit patient care. This results in wasted resources for both families and health systems and can potentially harm patients.
For example, Canadian and international guidelines recommend that seniors use benzodiazepines or sleeping pills for no more than six weeks due to the risks of car accidents, falls, and hip fractures.
Despite this, a 2017 Canadian Institute for Health Information study found that 1 in 10 Canadian seniors use these medications regularly.
Overuse issues are widespread in the Americas, affecting already-strained health systems and families. By joining forces, PAHO and Choosing Wisely Canada aim to support healthcare workers, strengthen health systems, and ultimately benefit families by promoting evidence-based practices throughout the Americas to address the overuse of harmful or ineffective clinical interventions.
The key activities under the MOU include establishing and supporting networks of experts and influencers committed to applying quality research evidence to reduce harmful and ineffective healthcare interventions and engaging health sector leaders and providers to champion quality and safety in healthcare.
It will also support research agendas to advance healthcare quality and safety and advocate for safe and effective healthcare delivery practices.
The MOU will allow for the creation of a learning community to share knowledge and resources on healthcare overuse. It will be effective through August 31, 2029, and will provide a framework for ongoing collaboration between the two organizations.
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