Using Health Care Resources Wisely During and Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

Key Messages

• In the pandemic era, the Choosing Wisely Canada campaign has taken on new meanings and urgency.
• There are drops in utilization for necessary health care services and procedures during the pandemic; however, there is growing literature suggesting that some decreases in utilization have been driven by declines in low-value tests and treatments. As resources have shifted to pandemic priorities and essential care needs, these unnecessary tests and treatments have also declined.
• Choosing Wisely Canada and CADTH are proactively working to highlight key recommendations from evidence-based lists of recommendations to inform priorities for rebuilding, which include avoiding low-value care. Rebuilding the health care system in the post-pandemic era needs to take into account a diversity of perspectives on how to prioritize high-value care for those who need it most, including clinician, patient, and policy expert perspectives.