Choosing Wisely: savings in time and resources for Vitalité Health Network

Vitalité Health Network, August 22, 2023 – Vitalité Health Network is achieving substantial savings while at the same time improving the quality of its medical care through active participation in the Choosing Wisely national campaign.  By prioritizing investigations and treatments delivered based on the highest standards of care and eliminating tests and treatments that are redundant or not indicated, this innovative initiative is optimizing health resources and benefiting patients.

Although medical investigations are crucial in developing a solid basis for clinical decision-making, their overuse in the past decades has had adverse consequences. Redundant tests and unnecessary, additional medical consultations can result in anxiety, adverse effects and lost time for patients. They also waste medical resources, increase costs and lengthen waiting times.

“To address this growing problem and improve the quality of the care we provide, a reset was required,” explained Dr. Éric Levasseur, Chief of Staff of the Network and project co-lead.  “We must progressively move toward more targeted and effective medical care delivered based on best practices. This more environmentally friendly and sustainable approach will benefit patients first of all, not to mention the health system as a whole. This approach involves not only limiting or eliminating unnecessary investigations but often adding new and more effective ways of doing things. It involves prioritizing care that is evidence-based and appropriate for each case. Concrete and impressive results are accruing thanks to this approach.”

The Edmundston Regional Hospital has taken a leading role in this area by implementing several of the Choosing Wisely campaign’s recommendations on the appropriate use of lab tests and blood transfusions. By eliminating exams such as urea testing for kidney function and folic acid testing and reducing the liver profile from eight tests to three, the hospital has been able to free up additional patient care resources. 

GGT (gamma-glutamyl-transferase) testing is one example of this remarkable success. Its use has dropped spectacularly, from 57,997 tests in 2008 to only 23,702 tests in 2022, a 40.9 percent reduction.

These efforts have saved the Edmundston Regional Hospital alone hundreds of thousands of dollars. The facility has in fact achieved Level 2 certification under the Choosing Wisely campaign.

Other similar projects have also been audited before and after their implementation within the Network. And a committee has been established to prioritize the changes to be made in this area. 

Dr. Ihssan Bouhtiauy, project co-lead, is certain that this innovative approach will continue to bear fruit in future.  “We are proud to be part of this initiative shaping the future of health care in Canada. Our participation in Choosing Wisely has been an opportunity for us to rethink our medical practices and concentrate on what truly benefits patients. Working as a team, we have been able to provide high quality care while at the same time achieving significant savings.”