Policy | Oncology | School of Medicine

POLICY FEATURED PROJECT- Choosing Wisely Brazil

Choosing Wisely Brazil is a planned initiative founded on the success of Choosing Wisely in the USA, Canada and India, which each aimed to identify low-value, unnecessary, or harmful cancer services that are frequently used in national healthcare systems. As per its guiding principles, Choosing Wisely is specialty-driven initiative intended to start a dialogue between physicians, patients, their families, policymakers, and patient advocates on ensuring high-quality and affordable cancer care while avoiding the use of unnecessary tests, procedures, and treatments. Identification of low-value or harmful practices can facilitate subsequent quality improvement initiatives through measurement and performance reporting. It also facilitates the development of evidence-based and context-appropriate guidelines for the management of cancer. However, an initiative like Choosing Wisely has no precedent in the Latin America (for an in-depth context description refer to the next section – Impact), but there is an apparent movement and need to promote value-based practice which will further translate in more sustainable and efficient health care. The proposed research project will encompass the pillars and goals that will promote value-based oncology (identifying low value practices and promoting workforce metrics), empower policymakers and support a future generation of oncology services in the country.