June 20, 2013
The ABIM Foundation awarded the Texas Medical Association (TMA) a $50,000 grant to advance the Choosing Wisely® campaign among Texas physicians. Choosing Wisely is leading a national conversation about doing the right thing at the right time for the right patient, and avoiding unnecessary care. TMA is one of only five state medical associations to receive a grant from the ABIM Foundation.
“It is important for physicians to take a leadership role in reducing waste and improving quality for their patients,” said TMA President Steve L. Brotherton, MD, a Fort Worth orthopedic surgeon. “TMA is proud to be a partner in this important effort.”
The goal of the campaign is to promote conversations between physicians and patients about utilizing the most appropriate tests and treatments. To help stimulate these conversations, leading medical specialty societies created lists of evidence-based practices that might be unnecessary or overused.
“Every patient is unique,” said Dr. Brotherton. “The practices identified are not meant to be absolutes but guidelines that include indications when a test or procedure may be appropriate. The campaign is not about cookie-cutter medicine but about starting a conversation between a patient and his or her physician about the best method of care.”
As a member of the initiative, TMA will work with Texas physicians, state specialty societies, and county medical societies to educate doctors about the campaign’s recommendations.
“The TMA Foundation is excited about this grant and the opportunity to spread the Choosing Wisely campaign’s vision across Texas,” said TMA Foundation President G. Sealy Massingill, MD, a Fort Worth OB-Gyn. The TMA Foundation, the association’s philanthropic arm, applied for the grant and will manage grant-funded activities, as well as educate individuals, businesses, and community groups about the value of the campaign. “With these funds, we plan to help our physicians promote Choosing Wisely in their practice, and foster meaningful discussions between doctors and patients to help patients choose the care that is truly necessary and beneficial,” said Dr. Massingill.
Support for the grant program comes from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than 47,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 112 component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.
- 30 -
Contact: Pam Udall
phone: (512) 370-1382
cell: (512) 413-6807
|
Brent Annear
phone: (512) 370-1381
cell: (512) 656-7320
Click here to follow TMA on Twitter . Or visit TMA on Facebook.