De-adopting Routine Preoperative Benzodiazepines for Older Surgical Patients

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Aging; Surgery
• Interventions: Behavioral: Patient Informational Letter; Behavioral: Peer Comparison Feedback

• Registration Number: NCT05436392
• Lead Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania

Brief Summary

Over 21 million surgical procedures take place among adults aged 65 and older in the US each year, and most older surgical patients in the US now receive benzodiazepines (e.g., midazolam, lorazepam) during anesthesia care. This occurs despite recommendations to avoid these medications in older patients due to associated medical risks and lack of demonstrated benefit. In other words, routine benzodiazepine administration to older surgical patients is likely to represent low-value care that is a suitable target for de-adoption. In this study, we will evaluate a United States Anesthesia Partners (USAP, Dallas, TX) quality improvement initiative using peer comparison feedback to clinicians and/or mailed informational letters to patients as strategies to encourage physician de-adoption of routine preoperative benzodiazepine administration to older surgical patients. In partnership with USAP, this study will be conducted using randomization to evaluate its effect.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2022-06-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-06-24
• Study First Posted: 2022-06-29
• Study Start: 2022-08-08
• Primary Completion: 2023-06-30
• Study Completion: 2023-12-31
• Status Verified: 2024-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-01-17
• Last Update Posted: 2024-01-18

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 517611

Inclusion Criteria

• All anesthesia clinicians employed by USAP will be included in the evaluation. Patients will be included if they are at least aged 65 and undergo an elective (scheduled) surgical or endoscopic procedure under general anesthesia.

Exclusion Criteria

• Patients will be excluded if they are unscheduled (urgent/emergent) cases due to inability to reliably deliver study interventions to this group; if they did not receive general anesthesia; or if they received a nerve block procedure.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: FACTORIAL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Patient Informational Letter	Patient Informational Letter	-
Peer Comparison Feedback plus Patient Informational Letter	Peer Comparison Feedback	-
Peer Comparison Feedback plus Patient Informational Letter	Patient Informational Letter	-
Peer Comparison Feedback	Peer Comparison Feedback	-

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Benzodiazepine administration rate	Intraoperative period	The primary outcome measure is the change in the rate of benzodiazepine administration among eligible surgical cases.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Patient satisfaction	Up to 30 days after surgery	Change in patient satisfaction with care, as measured by Anesthesiologist Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Composite Satisfaction Score, Version 2 (APSQ2).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

US Anesthesia Partners; 🇺🇸 Dallas, Texas, United States