ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2018
A feasibility study of a theory-based intervention to improve appropriate polypharmacy for older people in primary care.
Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. It is linked to trial NCT04181879 (A Pilot Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial of a Theory-based Intervention to Improve Appropriate Polypharmacy in Older People in Primary Care), which is not on this map. Cited by 8 papers.
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.
A Pilot Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial of a Theory-based Intervention to Improve Appropriate Polypharmacy in Older People in Primary Care
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Development of a Deprescribing Intervention for Proton Pump Inhibitors in Primary Care: A Co-Design Approach With General Practitioners and Patients.Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology · 2025Article
- An external pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of a theory-based intervention to improve appropriate polypharmacy in older people in primary care (PolyPrime).Pilot and feasibility studies · 2022Article
- Theoretically derived interventions aimed at improving appropriate polypharmacy in primary care: A systematic review.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2022Review
- Article
- An external pilot cluster randomised controlled trial of a theory-based intervention to improve appropriate polypharmacy in older people in primary care (PolyPrime): study protocol.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2021Article
- Polypharmacy Management in the Older Adults: A Scoping Review of Available Interventions.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021Article
- Feasibility and acceptability of commonly used screening instruments to identify frailty among community-dwelling older people: a mixed methods study.BMC geriatrics · 2020Article
- Improving medicines management for people with dementia in primary care: a qualitative study of healthcare professionals to develop a theory-informed intervention.BMC health services research · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issuedErratum to:2017
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundA general practitioner (GP)-targeted intervention aimed at improving the prescribing of appropriate polypharmacy for older people was previously developed using a systematic, theory-based approach based on the UK Medical Research Council's complex intervention framework. The primary intervention component comprised a video demonstration of a GP prescribing appropriate polypharmacy during a consultation with an older patient. The video was delivered to GPs online and included feedback emphasising the positive outcomes of performing the behaviour. As a complementary intervention component, patients were invited to scheduled medication review consultations with GPs. This study aimed to test the feasibility of the intervention and study procedures (recruitment, data collection).
methodsGPs from two general practices were given access to the video, and reception staff scheduled consultations with older patients receiving polypharmacy (≥4 medicines). Primary feasibility study outcomes were the usability and acceptability of the intervention to GPs. Feedback was collected from GP and patient participants using structured questionnaires. Clinical data were also extracted from recruited patients' medical records (baseline and 1 month post-consultation). The feasibility of applying validated assessment of prescribing appropriateness (STOPP/START criteria, Medication Appropriateness Index) and medication regimen complexity (Medication Regimen Complexity Index) to these data was investigated. Data analysis was descriptive, providing an overview of participants' feedback and clinical assessment findings.
resultsFour GPs and ten patients were recruited across two practices. The intervention was considered usable and acceptable by GPs. Some reservations were expressed by GPs as to whether the video truly reflected resource and time pressures encountered in the general practice working environment. Patient feedback on the scheduled consultations was positive. Patients welcomed the opportunity to have their medications reviewed. Due to the short time to follow-up and a lack of detailed clinical information in patient records, it was not feasible to detect any prescribing changes or to apply the assessment tools to patients' clinical data.
conclusionThe findings will help to further refine the intervention and study procedures (including time to follow-up) which will be tested in a randomised pilot study that will inform the design of a definitive trial to evaluate the intervention's effectiveness.
trial registrationISRCTN18176245.
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