NC HealthSmart (Get the Care You Need)
Choosing Wisely Initiative

Choosing Wisely is a national campaign seeking to support patients and doctors in their efforts to make smart, effective health care decisions. To do this, the campaign promotes conversations between patients and doctors in order to help them choose care that:

• Is supported by evidence
• Does not duplicate tests and procedures the patient has already received
• Will not do more harm than good
• Is truly necessary

The State Health Plan has partnered with the North Carolina Healthcare Quality Alliance (NCHQA) to reduce overuse of 4 of the tests and treatments identified by the Choosing Wisely campaign. NCHQA was awarded grant funding by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation with support from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Through this partnership, we are committed to helping reduce the use of:

• Antibiotics to treat viral infections in adults
• Annual Pap tests for women between the ages of 30 and 65
• DEXA scans to measure bone density in women younger than 65 and men younger than 70
• Carotid artery stenosis screening in asymptomatic patients

Learn more about the State Health Plan’s partnership with the Choosing Wisely campaign.