CompletedNot Applicable

Intervention to Improve Prescribing in Elderly Patients

450 participantsStarted 2013-09

Plain-language summary

This study tested the efficacy of an easy-to-use checklist aimed at supporting the therapeutic reasoning of physicians in order to reduce inappropriate prescribing and polypharmacy in elderly adults admitted to an internal medicine unit.

Who can participate

Age range

65 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Inclusion Criteria: * Consecutive patients aged ≥65 years, * patients hospitalized in the division of internal medicine of a Swiss secondary-level hospital from September to November 2012 (control group, N=450) and from September to November 2013 (intervention group, N=450). Exclusion Criteria: * none

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Change in the proportion of patients prescribed potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) at discharge

Timeframe: In the 3 months after introduction of the checklist (Sept.-Nov. 2013, intervention group) and in 3 months (Sept.-Nov. 2012) one year before the introduction of the checklist (control group)

Change in the number of prescribed medications at discharge

Trial details

NCT IDNCT02712268

SponsorUniversity Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2013-11

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Elderly Internal Medicine Patients trials