It has been a big week for Choosing Wisely! New Zealand has jointed the movement, and new recommendation lists about Rehab Medicine and Pediatrics have been released in Canada.

This week, in an effort to address testing that we are requested to do by other health care providers, we highlight recommendations from Anesthesiology, where it is clearly stated that for patients undergoing low-risk, non-cardiac surgery that baseline laboratory studies (complete blood count, coagulation testing, or serum biochemistry), ECGs, or chest x-rays are not necessary.

We often receive requests from other specialists, plastic surgeons and dentists for the above-noted investigations. A short letter including sections copied and pasted from the list of Anthesiology recommendations (refer to the "Quick Links" section of this newsletter) serves to educate, and reduce over-investigation, over-diagnosis (a.k.a. "incidentalomas") and costs.