On November 10, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) and Choosing Wisely Canada released a new report Overuse of Tests and Treatments in Canada. The report examines the overuse of 12 selected tests and treatments by looking at trends and variation in use across the country.

Over a five-year period, the overuse of 8 out of the 12 tests and treatments decreased by 10% or more. This represents a reduction of about 826,000 tests, treatments, and procedures that would not have benefited patients including:

• 698,000 fewer unnecessary prescriptions and other treatments
• 115,000 fewer low-value X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and preoperative tests
• 13,000 fewer unnecessary surgical procedures

While some areas show reductions, variation among provinces and territories shows there’s still room for improvement. Featured in each section of the report are examples of successful initiatives that are tackling this longstanding problem in Canadian health systems.