What are priorities for deprescribing for elderly patients? Capturing the voice of practitioners: a modified delphi process.

Polypharmacy and inappropriate medication use among older adults contribute to adverse drug reactions, falls, cognitive impairment, noncompliance, hospitalization and mortality. While deprescribing - tapering, reducing or stopping a medication - is feasible and relatively safe, clinicians find it di...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Barbara Farrell, Corey Tsang, Lalitha Raman-Wilms, Hannah Irving, James Conklin, Kevin Pottie
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2015-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4388504?pdf=render
_version_ 1818925005104218112
author Barbara Farrell
Corey Tsang
Lalitha Raman-Wilms
Hannah Irving
James Conklin
Kevin Pottie
author_facet Barbara Farrell
Corey Tsang
Lalitha Raman-Wilms
Hannah Irving
James Conklin
Kevin Pottie
author_sort Barbara Farrell
collection DOAJ
description Polypharmacy and inappropriate medication use among older adults contribute to adverse drug reactions, falls, cognitive impairment, noncompliance, hospitalization and mortality. While deprescribing - tapering, reducing or stopping a medication - is feasible and relatively safe, clinicians find it difficult to carry out. Deprescribing guidelines would facilitate this process. The aim of this paper is to identify and prioritize medication classes where evidence-based deprescribing guidelines would be of benefit to clinicians. A modified Delphi approach included a literature review to identify potentially inappropriate medications for the elderly, an expert panel to develop survey content and three survey rounds to seek consensus on priorities. Panel participants included three pharmacists, two family physicians and one social scientist. Sixty-five Canadian geriatrics experts (36 pharmacists, 19 physicians and 10 nurse practitioners) participated in the survey. Twenty-nine drugs/drug classes were included in the first survey with 14 reaching the required (≥ 70%) level of consensus, and 2 new drug classes added from qualitative comments. Fifty-three participants completed round two, and 47 participants completed round three. The final five priorities were benzodiazepines, atypical antipsychotics, statins, tricyclic antidepressants, and proton pump inhibitors; nine other drug classes were also identified as being in need of evidence-based deprescribing guidelines. The Delphi consensus process identified five priority drug classes for which expert clinicians felt guidance is needed for deprescribing. The classes of drugs that emerged strongly from the rankings dealt with mental health, cardiovascular, gastroenterological, and neurological conditions. The results suggest that deprescribing and overtreatment occurs through the full spectrum of primary care, and that evidence-based deprescribing guidelines are a priority in the care of the elderly.
first_indexed 2024-12-20T02:34:20Z
format Article
id doaj.art-58b15724a9ac4469b1f9b3a5848ca7b8
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-20T02:34:20Z
publishDate 2015-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-58b15724a9ac4469b1f9b3a5848ca7b82022-12-21T19:56:29ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01104e012224610.1371/journal.pone.0122246What are priorities for deprescribing for elderly patients? Capturing the voice of practitioners: a modified delphi process.Barbara FarrellCorey TsangLalitha Raman-WilmsHannah IrvingJames ConklinKevin PottiePolypharmacy and inappropriate medication use among older adults contribute to adverse drug reactions, falls, cognitive impairment, noncompliance, hospitalization and mortality. While deprescribing - tapering, reducing or stopping a medication - is feasible and relatively safe, clinicians find it difficult to carry out. Deprescribing guidelines would facilitate this process. The aim of this paper is to identify and prioritize medication classes where evidence-based deprescribing guidelines would be of benefit to clinicians. A modified Delphi approach included a literature review to identify potentially inappropriate medications for the elderly, an expert panel to develop survey content and three survey rounds to seek consensus on priorities. Panel participants included three pharmacists, two family physicians and one social scientist. Sixty-five Canadian geriatrics experts (36 pharmacists, 19 physicians and 10 nurse practitioners) participated in the survey. Twenty-nine drugs/drug classes were included in the first survey with 14 reaching the required (≥ 70%) level of consensus, and 2 new drug classes added from qualitative comments. Fifty-three participants completed round two, and 47 participants completed round three. The final five priorities were benzodiazepines, atypical antipsychotics, statins, tricyclic antidepressants, and proton pump inhibitors; nine other drug classes were also identified as being in need of evidence-based deprescribing guidelines. The Delphi consensus process identified five priority drug classes for which expert clinicians felt guidance is needed for deprescribing. The classes of drugs that emerged strongly from the rankings dealt with mental health, cardiovascular, gastroenterological, and neurological conditions. The results suggest that deprescribing and overtreatment occurs through the full spectrum of primary care, and that evidence-based deprescribing guidelines are a priority in the care of the elderly.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4388504?pdf=render
spellingShingle Barbara Farrell
Corey Tsang
Lalitha Raman-Wilms
Hannah Irving
James Conklin
Kevin Pottie
What are priorities for deprescribing for elderly patients? Capturing the voice of practitioners: a modified delphi process.
PLoS ONE
title What are priorities for deprescribing for elderly patients? Capturing the voice of practitioners: a modified delphi process.
title_full What are priorities for deprescribing for elderly patients? Capturing the voice of practitioners: a modified delphi process.
title_fullStr What are priorities for deprescribing for elderly patients? Capturing the voice of practitioners: a modified delphi process.
title_full_unstemmed What are priorities for deprescribing for elderly patients? Capturing the voice of practitioners: a modified delphi process.
title_short What are priorities for deprescribing for elderly patients? Capturing the voice of practitioners: a modified delphi process.
title_sort what are priorities for deprescribing for elderly patients capturing the voice of practitioners a modified delphi process
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4388504?pdf=render
work_keys_str_mv AT barbarafarrell whatareprioritiesfordeprescribingforelderlypatientscapturingthevoiceofpractitionersamodifieddelphiprocess
AT coreytsang whatareprioritiesfordeprescribingforelderlypatientscapturingthevoiceofpractitionersamodifieddelphiprocess
AT lalitharamanwilms whatareprioritiesfordeprescribingforelderlypatientscapturingthevoiceofpractitionersamodifieddelphiprocess
AT hannahirving whatareprioritiesfordeprescribingforelderlypatientscapturingthevoiceofpractitionersamodifieddelphiprocess
AT jamesconklin whatareprioritiesfordeprescribingforelderlypatientscapturingthevoiceofpractitionersamodifieddelphiprocess
AT kevinpottie whatareprioritiesfordeprescribingforelderlypatientscapturingthevoiceofpractitionersamodifieddelphiprocess