[Choosing wisely in internal medicine]

"Choosing wisely - DGIM" is an initiative of the German Society of Internal Medicine (DGIM) to strengthen the quality of diagnostics and indications for therapy. Aspects of inappropriate patient care are identified based on scientific evidence in collaboration with12 internal medicine and associated societies. Identified aspects are reviewed and endorsed by an interdisciplinary consensus committee. Addressed are those diagnostic and therapeutic measures which are rarely used despite scientific evidence of their usefulness and those which are frequently used although clear evidence exists that the measures are not useful or even harmful. The resulting positive or negative recommendations are intended to support physicians in the assessment of indications. The relevance of the "Choosing wisely - DGIM" initiative is confirmed by a survey involving 4200 members of DGIM.