BrainScope Blog Choosing Wisely impact on CT utilization for mild head injured patients

In 2012, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), like other specialty societies, began a conversation with its members to develop five "Choosing Wisely®" recommendations. One of their first recommendations was to avoid low-value Computed Tomography (CT) scans of the head in patients with minor head injury. ACEP's multistep process began with input from its Cost-Effective Task Force (Task Force), which administered a survey to ACEP members asking for strategies to "reduce costs and improve value in Emergency Medicine." The Task Force determined that the evidence was clear; patients with minor head injury that are low risk for intracranial bleeding or skull fracture by decision rules would benefit from a conversation with their clinician on the utility of a head CT.1