Caption: Image of C-QuIPS Improvement Fellows from the program launch hosted by C-QuIPS. 

In September, the Choosing Wisely Canada Scholars Program was launched in collaboration with the Centre for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS) and the Centre for Implementation Research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (CIR).

Four scholars were selected, all of whom have an academic interest in resource stewardship. The one-year program, coordinated through the CQuIPS Improvement Fellowship Program, combines a core curriculum on quality improvement in reducing overuse and de-implementation research methodologies.

Each scholar has undertaken an improvement project of interest related to reducing low-value care. Bi-monthly sessions led by implementation science experts Dr. Jeremy Grimshaw and Dr. Andrea Patey help determine appropriate study designs and research methodologies for the scholars’ proposed projects. Each scholar is also paired with a quality improvement expert or senior academic lead for one-on-one mentoring.

Meet the Choosing Wisely Canada Scholars:

• Katrina Piggott practices inpatient and outpatient geriatric medicine at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Dr. Piggott’s project focuses on reducing the overuse and associated harm of unnecessary urine cultures and urinary antimicrobials in long-term care.
• Holly Rector practices as an adult nurse practitioner in cardiology at Women’s College Hospital. Holly’s project is focused on decreasing benzodiazepines in outpatient settings within nursing professional practice.
• William Silverstein is a general internist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Dr. Silverstein’s project focuses on resource stewardship competencies in medical school education and how to evaluate the impact of the Students and Trainees Advocating for Resource Stewardship (STARS) program.
• Katie Gardner is a pediatric emergency physician at IWK Health in Halifax. Dr. Gardner’s project will focus on sustainable inhaler prescribing for pediatric asthma in the acute care setting.

“This is an incredibly unique program that pairs quality improvement strategies and de-implementation research to find solutions in clinical practice,” says Dr. Wendy Levinson, Chair of Choosing Wisely Canada. “As the program evolves, we look forward to fostering a community of academics and leaders interested in advancing the knowledge and practices of reducing unnecessary testing and treatments in Canada.”

Scholars will progress through the one-year program with the goal of evaluating their projects and publishing findings in relevant journals.