As part of the Choosing Wisely Canada campaign the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians releases a list of commonly used tests and treatments to question

Group aims to encourage clinician and patient conversations by identifying ten tests or treatments to question, highlighting potentially unnecessary—sometimes harmful—care in Emergency Medicine.

OTTAWA, Oct. 3, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) today released a list of specific tests, treatments or procedures that are commonly ordered but not always necessary in Emergency Medicine as part of Choosing Wisely Canada. The list identifies ten targeted, evidence-based recommendations that can support conversations between patients and clinicians about what care is really necessary.

CAEPS's first list, released in June 2015, identified the following five recommendations:
1.	Don't order CT head scans in adults and children who have suffered minor head injuries (unless positive for a validated head injury clinical decision rule).
2.	Don't prescribe antibiotics in adults with bronchitis/asthma and children with bronchiolitis.
3.	Don't order lumbosacral (low back) spinal imaging in patients with non-traumatic low back pain who have no red flags/pathologic indicators.
4.	Don't order neck radiographs in patients who have a negative examination using the Canadian C-spine rules.
5.	Don't prescribe antibiotics after incision and drainage of uncomplicated skin abscesses unless extensive cellulitis exists.
Today, CAEP has added five additional recommendations:
6.	Don't order CT head scans in adult patients with simple syncope in the absence of high-risk predictors.
7.	Don't order CT pulmonary angiograms or VQ scans in patients with suspected pulmonary embolism until risk stratification with decision rule has been applied and when indicated, D- dimer biomarker results are obtained.
8.	Don't use antibiotics in adults and children with uncomplicated sore throats.
9.	Don't order ankle and/or foot X-rays in patients who have a negative examination using the Ottawa ankle rules.
10.	Don't use antibiotics in adults and children with uncomplicated acute otitis media.

"Emergency physicians are on the front lines of medicine. We have the opportunity to improve the care we deliver by engaging our patients in conversations about what care is really necessary and which may be harmful to their health. The recommendations in Emergency Medicine released today by CAEP provide valuable information to help patients and clinicians make wise health choices," said Dr. Amy Cheng, Emergency Physician, Assistant Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto and Co-Chair of the CAEP Choosing Wisely Expert Working Group.

"Emergency physicians and patients can use these recommendations with confidence to initiate discussions on how to reduce unnecessary testing, improve safety, and enhance outcomes following an emergency department encounter," said Dr. Brian Rowe, Emergency Physician, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB and Co-Chair of the CAEP Choosing Wisely Expert Working Group.

CAEP's Choosing Wisely Canada list was developed with careful consideration and review, using the most current evidence about management and treatment options. An expert working group was established and more than 100 emergency physicians were consulted on the recommendations.

"Conversations about what care patients truly need is a shared responsibility among all members of the health care team," said Wendy Levinson, MD OC, Chair and Co-Founder of Choosing Wisely Canada. "CAEP's Choosing Wisely Canada list will help Emergency Medicine across the country engage their patients in a dialogue about what care is best for them, and what we can do to reduce waste and overuse in our health care system."

With the release of these new lists, the campaign will have covered more than 175 tests and treatments that the medical professional society partners say are overused and inappropriate, and that clinicians and patients should discuss.

To learn more about this list, including additional detail, please visit: http://caep.ca/em-community/choosing-wisely

To learn more about Choosing Wisely Canada and to view the complete lists and additional detail about the recommendations and evidence supporting them, visit www.ChoosingWiselyCanada.org.

The Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) is the national association of Emergency Medicine physicians and represents more than 2400 members from across Canada. CAEP advocates on behalf of emergency medicine physicians and their patients for the betterment of patient care.
CAEP is located at: 808-180 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 2K3; Tel: [phone] ext.15; Email: [email protected]

In partnership with the Canadian Medical Association, Choosing Wisely Canada is a national health care campaign to help clinicians and patients engage in conversations about unnecessary tests and treatments and make smart and effective choices to ensure high-quality care.

SOURCE Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians

Image with caption: "Logo: Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CNW Group/Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161003_C6608_PHOTO_EN_786433.jpg

Mona Bates, 1. 800.463.1158 x 15, [email protected]