Securing institutional support is the first step in any Choosing Wisely project. Evaluate your hospital in the areas covered by Choosing Wisely recommendations. How does the number of transfusions occurring in your hospital compare to national averages? What about number of catheter days and frequency of CAUTIs?
Once you choose an area for improvement, present a strong business case, strongly supported by data and the best projections you can muster, to your hospital’s stakeholders to prove that your proposed initiative will positively impact healthcare costs, quality, and patient safety. Secure institutional support to hold meetings and set specific goals.
And, remember, starting a Choosing Wisely project takes time and commitment. There must be a period of deliberate infrastructure building in which protocols that facilitate Choosing Wisely practices are put in place and metrics for measuring their success are established. Only when this foundation is properly laid can the initiatives be truly and perceptively effective.