PAHO and Choosing Wisely Canada partner to reduce healthcare overuse in Latin America and the Caribbean

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) have announced a new partnership to address excessive or unnecessary testing and treatment in Latin America and the Caribbean. This 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 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalizing the five-year partnership starting July 2024.

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 cause harm to patients. For example, Canadian and international guidelines recommend that seniors use benzodiazepines, or sleeping pills, for no more than 6 weeks due to risks of car accidents, falls, and hip fractures. Despite this, a 2017 study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information found that 1 in 10 Canadian seniors use these medications regularly.

In the Americas, overuse issues are widespread, 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.

“This partnership represents a significant step forward in our efforts to strengthen healthcare systems in the Americas,” said PAHO Assistant Director 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.”

“Strengthening our partnerships to address the global issue of overuse is a crucial step towards improving health systems and delivering better patient care,” said Dr. Wendy Levinson, Chair of Choosing Wisely Canada. “By establishing stronger networks, we can advance our collective efforts to improve quality and safety in care and promote best practices in healthcare delivery.”

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.
• Engaging health sector leaders and providers to champion quality and safety in healthcare.
• Supporting research agendas to advance healthcare quality and safety.
• Advocating for safe and effective healthcare delivery practices.
• Creating a learning community to share knowledge and resources on healthcare overuse.

The MoU will be effective through August 31, 2029, providing a framework for ongoing collaboration between the two organizations.