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Optimization of Drug Prescribing in an Elderly Population of Geriatric Consultations

Not Applicable
Conditions
Functional Autonomy Level
Interventions
Other: Optimization of drug prescribing
Registration Number
NCT02740764
Lead Sponsor
Hospices Civils de Lyon
Brief Summary

Aging is often associated with multiple chronic conditions conducting increased consumption of drugs. Drug therapy is necessary for the treatment of many diseases. However, misuse of drugs, particularly linked to the potentially inappropriate prescribing and polypharmacy, increases the iatrogenic risks and can lead to adverse events such as falls, cognitive decline, increased use to the health system: hospital admissions, emergency room visits, and institutionalization. These problems are common since about 20% of emergency room use in elderly patients due to an adverse event related to drugs. Nearly 28% of adverse events related to drug prescriptions could be avoided.

Interventions to optimize drug therapy showed a reduction in the number of potentially inappropriate medications, but their impact on health, has rarely been evaluated. If an association with death has been established, the link with the loss of functional autonomy, which leads to reduced quality of life and significant cost of care, has not been investigated. The evolution towards functional disabilities, frequent with aging has many causes, among which some could be prevented. The optimization of drug prescriptions could thereby delay or prevent the loss of functional autonomy by reducing the risk of adverse events, such as falls or cognitive decline and improving the management of chronic diseases. Our hypothesis is that an optimization program of the drug prescribing may slow progression to functional dependence. To assess the effect of the optimization program of drug prescribing on the level of functional autonomy, a multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial will be conducted in geriatric and memory consultations.

Expected results The implementation of the "OPTIM" program should enable optimization of drug prescribing in elderly patients and therefore slow or prevent progression to addiction. It should also help to develop and strengthen collaboration and communication between the team of geriatric consultation, the clinician pharmacist and referring physicians in town (private practice). In addition, pharmaceutical notice sent to referring physicians should help raise awareness of the prescription of drugs in these patients.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
302
Inclusion Criteria
  • Patients aged 65 and over;
  • Patients received for the first time in a geriatric or memory consultation of a study recruiting centers;
  • Patients living at home;
  • Patients with the ability to express themselves orally or in writing in French sufficiently to carry out clinical assessments;
  • Patients who led the last drugs prescription from his referring physician, at the geriatric/memory consultation (in current practice, patients should take the last prescription established by the referring physician);
  • Patients accompanied by a caregiver.
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Exclusion Criteria
  • Patients with no discernment;
  • Patient put under legal protection;
Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Optimization of drug prescribingOptimization of drug prescribingThe group with optimization program will have: (i) a medical history of the drug prescribing; (ii) analysis and pharmaceutical recommendations and (iii) preparation of a management plan. Notices will be sent only to referring physicians in this experimental group.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
The evolution of the level of functional autonomy of the patients assessed using the scale DAD-6.At 18 months

The primary outcome will be calculated using the 4 successive evaluations of DAD-6 scale.

The scale DAD-6 assesses the patient's activities in his daily life. It includes six questions assessing the degree of autonomy for the following activities: Food, use the telephone or the computer, moving outside, finance and correspondence, medications, leisure and home maintenance. The score ranges from 0 to 18 points, the higher the score, the more the patient is autonomous.

The evolution of the level of functional autonomy of the patients assessed using the scale IADL of LawtonAt 18 months

The primary outcome will be calculated using the 4 successive evaluations of IADL scale.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Compliance of patients with treatmentBaseline, 6 months and 18 months

compliance is measured with the questionnaire Girerd

Occurrence of recourse to emergency serviceBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

occurrence of recourse to emergency service within 18 months after baseline

Number of days before fallsBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

the delay between baseline and falls

acceptance rate by the referring physicians of pharmaceutical recommendationBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

The acceptance rate of the pharmaceutical review will be evaluated in 2 complementary ways:

* By comparing patients' prescriptions issued by the referring physician before and after the pharmaceutical review.

* By interviewing the referring physician

Number of HospitalizationsBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

the occurrence of hospitalizations within 18 months after baseline

Number of days before hospitalizationsBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

delay between baseline and the hospitalization

Number of days before admission in institutionBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

delay between baseline and the admission in institution

Quality of life 1Baseline, 6 months and 18 months

Quality of life measured by questionnaire QoL-AD

Number of days before the recourse to emergency serviceBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

delay between baseline and the recourse to emergency service

The occurrence of admission in institutionBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

the occurrence of admission in institution within 18 months after baseline

FallsBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

the occurrence of falls within 18 months after baseline

Cognitive functionsBaseline, 6 months and 18 months

The cognitive function is measured by the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) at every visit, as part of the routine care pathway of the patient. Successive scores will be used to measure the evolution of MMSE.

Problems associated with drug therapyBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

The proportion of problems associated with drug therapy will be measured on the drugs prescribing of the patients issued from the referring physician

DeathBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

the occurrence of death within 18 months after baseline

Number of days before deathBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

delay between baseline and death

Quality of life 2Baseline, 6 months and 18 months

Quality of life measured by questionnaire EUROQOL 5D

depression disordersBaseline, 6 months and 18 months

depression measured with the mini-GDS scale

Anxiety disordersBaseline, 6 months and 18 months

Anxiety disorders will be measured with the Hamilton scale

Proportion of potential inappropriate medicationBaseline, 1 month, 6 months and 18 months

The proportion of potential inappropriate medication will be measured on the drug prescribing of the patients issued from the referring physician

PainBaseline, 6 months and 18 months

Pain is measured with an ordinal scale from 0 to 10

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

H么pital g茅riatrique du Mont d'Or

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Albigny sur Sa么ne, France

H么pital des Charpennes

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Lyon, France

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