Will focus on measurable reductions in antibiotic use in Michigan, among other goals of ABIM Foundation campaign

Second set of Choosing Wisely grantees funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The ABIM Foundation announced that the Greater Detroit Area Health Council, in partnership with the Michigan State Medical Society, has been selected as a grantee in the Choosing Wisely campaign to reduce the use of tests and treatments in Michigan that national medical specialty societies have said are often overused and may be unnecessary.

The grant program, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, brings together health care organizations from across the country that have built strong multi-stakeholder alliances. The seven initiatives will focus on implementation of at least three Choosing Wisely recommendations, including reducing the use of antibiotics for viral infections by at least 20 percent over nearly three years at participating health systems, hospitals and medical groups in their regions.

The Greater Detroit Area Health Council will work with the Michigan State Medical Society, the Detroit Medical Center Physician Hospital, The Henry Ford Physician Network and other partners to reduce unnecessary care in the Detroit region. In addition to a reducing the use of antibiotics for viral infections among adults, Michigan will focus on reducing diagnostic testing for low back pain and screening for Vitamin D deficiencies.

"Through the Choosing Wisely grant we are undertaking a bold commitment with our allies here in Michigan to make measurable progress in helping patients make wise choices about their health," said Julie Novak, MSMS CEO. "We are proud to be a part of this important campaign that is engaging our patients in conversations about what care is really necessary and beneficial."

The focus on antibiotic overuse was driven by estimates from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that more than half the antibiotics used in the United States are prescribed unnecessarily or used improperly. To help educate physicians about the importance of reducing antibiotic overuse, several societies have included recommendations in their Choosing Wisely lists, including the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Campaign partner Consumer Reports has also produced a number of patient-friendly resources about antibiotic overuse that are publicly available on its online 'antibiotics hub', which includes tools and resources covering a variety of situations patients may encounter.

"Through the Choosing Wisely grant we are undertaking a bold commitment with our allies here in Michigan to make measurable progress in helping patients make wise choices about their health," said Julie Novak, MSMS CEO. "We are proud to be a part of this important campaign that is engaging our patients in conversations about what care is really necessary and beneficial."

To date, Choosing Wisely has brought together more than 110 national and state medical specialty societies, regional health collaboratives and consumer partners to join and support important conversations about appropriate care. More than 70 national specialty societies have released lists of tests and procedures clinicians and patients should discuss since the campaign launched in April 2012.

The seven Choosing Wisely initiatives will each receive a grant of $315,000 during a three-year period. In addition to Michigan, the other collaboratives include Integrated Healthcare Association in California, Maine Quality Counts, North Carolina Healthcare Quality Alliance, the UCLA Department of Medicine, the Washington Health Alliance, and the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality.

For more Choosing Wisely resources, visit msms.org/ChoosingWisely