American Family Physician and Choosing Wisely®

Choosing Wisely® was an initiative of over 80 medical societies and organizations, led by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, that sought to improve health care quality by encouraging dialogue on avoiding unnecessary medical tests, treatments, and procedures.

The Choosing Wisely mission was to promote conversations between physicians and patients to help them choose care that is:

• Supported by evidence
• Not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received
• Free from harm
• Truly necessary

Participating organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, identified commonly used test and procedures within their specialties that were possibly overused. The resulting clinical guidance was shared and distributed by the Choosing Wisely participants.

The Choosing Wisely campaign began in 2012 and ended in 2023. The Choosing Wisely recommendations are no longer updated by AAFP but are published here for archival purposes. AFP articles refer to relevant Choosing Wisely recommendations that the editors determined to be current at the time of publication.