The Choosing Wisely team has considered a number of new recommendations and we are happy to consider Dr. Kaplan’s suggestions that align with the ABIM requirements. One of the recommendations Dr. Kaplan notes (actually implicit in several) is “don’t order tests if you do not know what you will do with the results.” We actually put forward that recommendation as one of our first to the ABIM – but this recommendation was not accepted because the reviewers, while supportive, believed the recommendation was too general for the project. Further, we have been working with many other specialty societies throughout medicine who are also developing laboratory medicine recommendations that focus on their specialty-specific areas of practice. In fact, we are also looking at expanding the focus of our laboratory team to look at recommendations about what SHOULD be done, not just what should not be done (the focus of Choosing Wisely).

In the end, the Choosing Wisely Laboratory Medicine team welcomes the input from the entire laboratory medicine community. We would welcome suggestions from all of Dr. Kaplan’s readers. If you have suggestions or recommendations, please write Edna Garcia at ASCP: edna.garcia@ascp.org. Together we will be able to drive the effective use of laboratory diagnostics to the benefit of patients, the public and pathologists and laboratory professionals.