The Danish Choosing Wisely concept

Introduction Choosing Wisely has been introduced in more than 20 countries. In Denmark, the Vælg Klogt initiative was launched in the spring of 2020. The aim of Vælg Klogt is to reduce unnecessary and potentially harmful tests, treatments and procedures in healthcare. Vælg Klogt also contributes to the implementation of shared decision-making. This study explored knowledge of the Danish Vælg Klogt initiative among patient associations and scientific societies in Denmark. Methods This was a cross-sectional questionnaire study among patient associations and scientific societies. Descriptive and content analyses were used to interpret the quantitative and qualitative results, respectively. Results Both the patient associations and the scientific societies had little knowledge of Vælg Klogt; still, they agreed that overuse and waste occurs in Danish healthcare. The reasons are multifactorial, but both parties mentioned a fear of making mistakes and a lack of communication between departments. The initiative is welcomed, provided recommendations are based on evidence, integrated into clinical guidelines, well communicated and prepared in collaboration between patients and physicians. Conclusions Knowledge of the Danish Vælg Klogt initiative is scarce and implementation of Vælg Klogt must include extensive communication to patients, physicians, leaders and politicians. However, the mutual agreement between patient associations and scientific societies on the reasons for overuse promises well for the initiative. Funding none Trial registration Registered in the Central Denmark Region: 1-16-02-553-20.