Choosing Wisely in Cardiology | New ACC list of five things physicians and patients should question

Summary: The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has released a list of “Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question” in cardiology as part of the Choosing Wisely campaign, which encourages conversations between clinicians and patients about potentially unnecessary tests, treatments, and procedures. The list includes recommendations to:

1. Avoid the routine use of invasive hemodynamic monitoring with pulmonary artery catheters in patients with uncomplicated acute decompensated heart failure.
2. Avoid performing atrial fibrillation ablation for the sole purpose of discontinuing chronic anticoagulation.
3. Avoid routine imaging stress tests or coronary CT angiography for the workup of palpitations or presyncope.
4. Avoid obtaining a coronary artery calcium score in patients with known clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
5. Avoid obtaining routine serial echocardiograms for chronic heart failure if there has been no change in signs, symptoms, or management.

The recommendations are based on published national guidelines and aim to broadly represent the field of cardiology.

List: American College of Cardiology: Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question – Choosing Wisely

Commentary: ACC Releases New List of Choosing Wisely Recommendations – American College of Cardiology

See complete lists of low-value practices: Choosing Wisely U.S. / Choosing Wisely UK / Choosing Wisely Australia AND Choosing Wisely Canada