Trial reportBMC geriatrics2017
Use of the EMPOWER brochure to deprescribe sedative-hypnotic drugs in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.
Trial report in BMC geriatrics, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 21 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
The Patient as a Driver of Change: an Intervention Study to Reduce the Use and Impact of Potentially Inappropriate Medications Among Older Adults
GABA-WHY Study: Deprescription of Gabapentinoids in Medical Inpatients
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 41 citations in OpenAlex.
- Joint Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering: Considerations When Risks Outweigh Benefits.Journal of general internal medicine · 2025Guideline
- Deprescribing Benzodiazepine Receptor Agonists in Older Adults and People With Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2025Pooled it
- Medicine Optimisation and Deprescribing Intervention Outcomes for Older People with Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review.Drugs & aging · 2025Pooled it
- Behavioral Determinants of Older Adults' and Caregivers' Willingness to Deprescribe: A Systematic Review.Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)Pooled it
- Identifying and Resolving Drug-Related Problems in Geriatric Patients.Hospital pharmacy · 2026Review
- Assessing the acceptability and usability of MedSafer, a patient-centered electronic deprescribing tool.JAMIA open · 2025Article
- Deprescribing for People with Dementia: A Roadmap.Drugs & aging · 2025Review
- Factors associated with fall risk increasing drug use in older black and white men and women: the Health ABC Study.BMC geriatrics · 2024Article
- [Safe discontinuation of psychotropic drugs in older people? : New evidence and practical approach].Der Nervenarzt · 2024Review
- Weighing the necessities and concerns of deprescribing among older ambulatory patients and primary care trainees: a qualitative study.BMC primary care · 2023Article
- [Safe discontinuation of psychotropic drugs in older people? : New evidence and practical approach].Zeitschrift fur Gerontologie und Geriatrie · 2023Review
- Pharmacist interventions to deprescribe opioids and benzodiazepines in older adults: A rapid review.Research in social & administrative pharmacy : RSAP · 2022Review
- Article
- Canadian Guidelines on Benzodiazepine Receptor Agonist Use Disorder Among Older Adults Title.Canadian geriatrics journal : CGJ · 2020Article
- Prescribing cascades in persons with Alzheimer's disease: engaging patients, caregivers, and providers in a qualitative evaluation of print educational materials.Therapeutic advances in drug safety · 2020Article
- Development of a hospital deprescribing implementation framework: A focus group study with geriatricians and pharmacists.Age and ageing · 2019Article
- Attitudinal predictors of older peoples' and caregivers' desire to deprescribe in hospital.BMC geriatrics · 2019Article
- Patient-Oriented Policies To Reduce The Harmful Effects Of Medication On Seniors' Brain Function.The Public policy and aging report · 2018Article
- Patient care activities by community pharmacists in a capitation funding model mental health and addictions program.BMC psychiatry · 2018Observational
- Deprescribing Benzodiazepines in Older Patients: Impact of Interventions Targeting Physicians, Pharmacists, and Patients.Drugs & aging · 2018Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundEvidence-based mailed educational brochures about the harms of sedative-hypnotic use lead to discontinuation of chronic benzodiazepine use in older adults. It remains unknown whether patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are able to understand the information in the EMPOWER brochures, and whether they achieve similar rates of benzodiazepine discontinuation.
methodsPost-hoc analysis of the EMPOWER randomized, double-blind, wait-list controlled trial that assessed the effect of a direct-to-consumer educational intervention on benzodiazepine discontinuation. 303 community-dwelling chronic users of benzodiazepine medication aged 65-95 years were recruited from general community pharmacies in the original trial, 261 (86%) of which completed the trial extension phase. All participants of the control arm received the EMPOWER brochure during the trial extension. Normal cognition (n = 139) or MCI (n = 122) was determined during baseline cognitive testing using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment questionnaire. Changes in knowledge pre- and post-intervention were assessed with a knowledge questionnaire and changes in beliefs were calculated using the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to compare knowledge gained, change in beliefs and benzodiazepine cessation rates between participants with and without MCI.
resultsComplete discontinuation of benzodiazepines was achieved in 39 (32.0% [24.4,40.7]) participants with MCI and in 53 (38.1% [30.5,46.4]) with normal cognition (adjusted OR 0.79, 95% CI [0.45-1.38]). Compared to individuals with normal cognition, MCI had no effect on the acquisition of new knowledge, change in beliefs about benzodiazepines or elicitation of cognitive dissonance.
conclusionsThe EMPOWER brochure is effective for reducing benzodiazepines in community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment.
trial registrationOur ClinicalTrials.gov identifier is NCT01148186 , June 21
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.