William Osler Health and Niagara Health awarded for reducing ‘low-value’ tests and treatments

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Published March 17, 2023 at 11:47 am

William Osler Health System and Niagara Health have been recently recognized by a Canadian org for their leadership.

The two hospital systems were deemed by Choosing Wisely Canada to have “demonstrated organizational leadership in reducing the overuse of low-value tests, treatments or procedures that do not improve patient care.”

Choosing Wisely Canada is an organization that calls for hospitals to reduce unnecessary tests and treatments, with the concern that unnecessary treatments could expose patients to potential harm and consume healthcare resources.

The org — which is a partnership between the Canadian Medical Association, University of Toronto, and St. Michael’s Hospital — says it works with national clinician societies to identify frequently overused tests and treatments that are not supported by scientific evidence.

“We are incredibly impressed by the efforts of these hospitals to drive system improvements in practice,” says Dr. Christine Soong, the Clinician Lead for Choosing Wisely Canada’s Hospital Designation Program.

“William Osler Health System and Niagara Health have both demonstrated significant leadership through their willingness to share learnings as mentors with other hospitals, as well as a continued commitment to sustain these efforts in the future.”

This leadership status recognition is the “highest honour” bestowed by Choosing Wisely, the org says.

William Osler Health System runs Brampton Civic Hospital, Etobicoke General Hospital, and Peel Memorial Centre for Integrated Health and Wellness.

The award for Osler comes at around the same time that Brampton Civic is celebrating two recent accomplishments: Performing its first ever surgery to treat life-threatening heart rhythms, and becoming the world’s first acute-care hospital to begin using a new method of dementia care called The Butterfly Approach.

Niagara Health manages five hospital sites in Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Welland, Fort Erie, and Port Colborne.

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