ArticleHealth literacy research and practice2023
Exploring Older Adult Health Literacy in the Day-to-Day Management of Polypharmacy and Making Decisions About Deprescribing: A Mixed Methods Study.
Article in Health literacy research and practice, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Communication Processes Related to Decision-Making in Medication Management Between Healthcare Providers, Older People and Their Carers: A Systematic Review.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2025Pooled it
- Latent class patterns of medication attitudes and their correlates among older adults in the United States.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Shared decision-making and deprescribing to support anti-thrombotic therapy (dis)continuance for persons living with cancer in their last phase of life: A realist synthesis.PLoS medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPolypharmacy use in older adults is increasing and sometimes leads to poor health outcomes. The influence of health literacy in managing polypharmacy and making decisions about stopping medication has received limited attention.
objectiveA mixed methods design was used to measure and investigate the influence of health literacy in the management of polypharmacy and decisions about deprescribing. Phase 1 involved two cross-sectional surveys, one with older adults using five or more medications and the other with general practitioners (GPs).
methodsOlder adult health literacy was measured using the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale. Phase 2 employed individual interviews with both older adults and GPs and further explored the reported use of health literacy in practice. SPSS version 24 was used to conduct descriptive statistical analysis of the Phase 1 survey responses and Phase 2 interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis with the assistance of NVivo 12. KEY
resultsPhase 1 survey responses were received from 85 GPs and 137 older adults. Phase 2 interviews were conducted with 16 GPs and 25 older adults. Phase 1 results indicated that self-reported older adult health literacy was high, and that GPs believed older patients could engage in decisions about deprescribing. Phase 2 findings showed that older adults developed and employed complex health literacy practices to manage medications between consultations; however, few reported using their health literacy skills in consultations with their GPs. GPs noted that older adult involvement in decision-making varied and generally thought that older adults had low health literacy.
conclusionOlder adults reported using health literacy practices in the management of their sometimes-complex medication regimens. However, the role of health literacy in deprescribing decision-making was limited. The mixed methods approach allowed greater insight into older adult and GP practices that influence the acquisition and use of health literacy. [
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Registered trials
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