Observational studyClinical interventions in aging2014
Multiple medication use in older patients in post-acute transitional care: a prospective cohort study.
Observational study in Clinical interventions in aging, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
33 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 68 citations in OpenAlex.
- Applying the Bradford Hill Criteria to Assess the Independent Causal Roles of Aging and Medication in Frailty Progression: A Systematic Review.Drugs & aging · 2026Pooled it
- Exploring risk assessment tools for medicine-related problems among culturally and linguistically diverse patients in Australia: a systematic review.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- Polypharmacy Increases Risk of Dyspnea Among Adults With Serious, Life-Limiting Diseases.The American journal of hospice & palliative care · 2020Trial
- [Multicomponent exercise for people at high risk of frailty in the local context].Atencion primaria · 2026Article
- Prevalence and associated factors for drug-related problems and polypharmacy identified by a pharmacist-led medication review in patients enrolled in a home healthcare program.BMC geriatrics · 2026Observational
- Medication Use by Older Adults with Frailty: A Scoping Review.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Cardiac Rehabilitation and Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.Circulation reports · 2025Article
- Polypharmacy in Patients With COPD: A Scoping Review.Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (Miami, Fla.) · 2025Article
- Article
- Measures and tools assessing medication self-management capability in older people across the hospital-to-home transition: a systematic scoping review.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Challenges in Deprescribing among Older Adults in Post-Acute Care Transitions to Home.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · 2024Article
- Patients' Characterization, Pattern of Medication Use, and Factors Associated with Polypharmacy: A Cross-Sectional Study Focused on Eight Units of the Portuguese National Network for Long-Term Integrated Care.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- How to Deprescribe Potentially Inappropriate Medications During the Hospital-to-Home Transition: Stakeholder Perspectives on Essential Tasks.Clinical therapeutics · 2023Article
- Prognostic Impact of Polypharmacy following Trans-Catheter Aortic Valve Replacement.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Maintaining Implementation through Dynamic Adaptations (MIDAS): protocol for a cluster-randomized trial of implementation strategies to optimize and sustain use of evidence-based practices in Veteran Health Administration (VHA) patients.Implementation science communications · 2022Article
- Older Patient and Surrogate Attitudes Toward Deprescribing During the Transition From Acute to Post-Acute Care.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2022Article
- Association of healthy lifestyle and all-cause mortality according to medication burden.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2022Article
- Challenges faced by blind patients using chronic medication at a tertiary hospital in South Africa.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2022Article
- Drug-drug interactions among hospitalized elderly in patients at medical wards of Northwest Ethiopia's Comprehensive Specialized Hospitals: A multicenter observational study.SAGE open medicine · 2022Article
- Association of Hyper-Polypharmacy With Clinical Outcomes in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.Circulation. Heart failure · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOlder adults with a range of comorbidities are often prescribed multiple medications, which may impact on their function and cognition and increase the potential for drug interactions and adverse events.
aimsThis study investigated the extent of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications in patients receiving post-discharge transitional home care and explored the associations of polypharmacy with patient characteristics, functional outcomes, and frailty.
methodsA prospective observational study was conducted of 351 patients discharged home from hospital with support from six Transition Care Program (TCP) sites in two states of Australia. A comprehensive geriatric assessment was conducted at TCP admission and discharge using the interRAI Home Care assessment tool, with frailty measured using an index of 57 accumulated deficits. Medications from hospital discharge summaries were coded using the World Health Organization Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System.
resultsPolypharmacy (5-9 drugs) was observed in 46.7% and hyperpolypharmacy (≥ 10 drugs) in 39.2% of patients. Increasing numbers of medications were associated with greater number of comorbid conditions, a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dizziness, and dyspnea and increased frailty. At discharge from the program, the non-polypharmacy group (<5 drugs) had improved outcomes in Activities of Daily Living, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and fewer falls, which was mediated because of lower levels of frailty. The commonest drugs were analgesics (56.8%) and antiulcer drugs (52.7%). The commonest potentially inappropriate medications were tertiary tricyclic antidepressants.
conclusionPolypharmacy is common in older patients discharged from hospital. It is associated with frailty, falls, and poor functional outcomes. Efforts should be made to encourage regular medication reviews and rationalization of medications as part of discharge planning. Whether careful deprescribing improves outcomes in frail patients should be the focus of randomized trials.
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