The objective is to understand and evaluate the effectiveness of a deprescribing intervention in primary care, specifically targeting medications for overactive bladder in individuals aged 65 or older.
Potentially inappropriate medication is prescribed medications with an unfavorable risk-benefit profile, for which there might be better, safer, or more cost-effective alternatives. Anticholinergic drugs for Overactive Bladder (OAB) is an example of a potentially inappropriate medication in the elderly, calling for attention and possible deprescribing. Due to their crucial role in maintaining a patient's medication regimen, primary care settings are widely regarded as the optimal location for conducting medication reviews and deprescribing interventions. This study utilizes a mixed methods explanatory sequential design, nested in a randomised controlled trial to explore deprescribing drugs for Overactive Bladder (OAB). General practices will be randomized into two groups. The intervention group will then be evaluated in a mixed methods setup and finish the study with a comparison to the control group. The mixed methods approach employs a quantitative approach following the intervention group and investigates the prevalence of deprescribing the drugs in question. Secondly, a qualitative approach will be used to delve into the experiences of general practitioners (GPs), support staff, and patients during the deprescribing process. Finally, the quantitative and qualitative findings are merged to gain a comprehensive understanding of deprescribing for OAB. This integrated approach enhances insights and informs future interventions and recommendations. After the mixed methods studies are completed the control group will be used in an overall comparison of the two groups using registry data
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
72
The clinical guideline on "Deprescribing drugs for OAB" in The North Denmark Region serves as the basis for the intervention. The guideline provides recommended procedures for the deprescribing process. The guideline offers procedures for the deprescribing process and includes a deprescribing algorithm and a symptom questionnaire designed to evaluate the impact of medications utilized in the treatment of OAB.
Aalborg University Hospital
Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark
Difference in proportion of patients receiving drugs for overactive bladder
The primary outcome will be the difference in the proportion of patients receiving drugs for overactive bladder before and after a 6-month follow-up period.
Time frame: 6 months
proportion of patients in the intervention group who had deprescribing initiated but not sustained
Descriptive characteristics of the proportion of patients in the intervention group who had deprescribing initiated but not sustained.
Time frame: 6 months
The proportion of patients where deprescribing was not initiated
Descriptive characteristics of the proportion of patients in the intervention group where deprescribing was not initiated.
Time frame: 6 months
Changes and distribution of bladder symptoms
Descriptive characteristics and distribution of bladder symptoms between and within the groups before and after the intervention
Time frame: 6 months
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