Exploring emergency physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour towards Choosing Wisely in Taiwan

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Policy
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• The Choosing Wisely campaign aims to reduce unnecessary medical care.
• Understanding emergency physicians' awareness of Choosing Wisely in Taiwan is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore emergency physicians' knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding Choosing Wisely in Taiwan.
• To identify factors influencing these perceptions to inform campaign promotion.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 162 emergency physicians in Taiwan.
• Online questionnaires based on the Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior (KAB) model.
• Statistical analyses including t-test, ANOVA, chi-square, Pearson's correlation, and multiple linear regression.

Main Results:

• Only 38.9% of physicians had heard of Choosing Wisely, yet the mean knowledge score was 70.1%.
• Positive attitudes toward Choosing Wisely were strongly associated with positive behaviors.
• Factors positively influencing knowledge included supervisory roles, health insurance service involvement, and prior awareness; age showed a negative association.

Conclusions:

• Physicians' knowledge did not directly influence their attitudes or behaviors, suggesting practice barriers.
• Promoting Choosing Wisely requires focusing on identified influencing factors.
• Developing targeted practice guidelines based on these factors is recommended.