Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39382112›Full record

ArticleJournal of the American Geriatrics Society2025

Comparing the performance of multiple trigger tools in identifying medication-related hospital readmissions.

Nikki Lips, Amit Singh, Daniala Weir, Fatma Karapinar-Carkit

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Nikki LipsDepartment of Internal Medicine, OLVG Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Amit SinghDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, OLVG Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0009-0005-0835-1459
Daniala WeirDivision of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Fatma Karapinar-CarkitDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, OLVG Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-3077-9663

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMultiple trigger tools have been developed to identify medication-related hospital (re)admissions (MRRs); however, the accuracy of these tools in real-world clinical practice is uncertain. The objective of this study was to compare the accuracy of four different trigger tools (OPERAM, STOPP/START criteria, ADR-tool, and QUADRAT) to identify MRRs compared with clinical adjudication.

methodsWe conducted a secondary analysis of patients readmitted within 30 days to seven departments of a teaching hospital. In the primary study, which involved a retrospective chart review of 1111 readmissions, MRRs and their potential preventability were clinically adjudicated by physicians and pharmacists. In the current study, four trigger tools were applied by a different physician and pharmacist panel. Patients of all ages were included. Trigger tools included both explicit items specifying the event and the associated medication and implicit items requiring clinical knowledge. The accuracy of each trigger tool was assessed by calculating the proportion of clinically adjudicated MRRs each tool identified overall as well as according to explicit and implicit triggers separately. The accuracy of each tool to identify potentially preventable MRRs was also calculated.

resultsOf 1111 readmissions, 181 were adjudicated as medication-related (mean age 69 years, 56% male); 72 (40%) MRRs were potentially preventable. The original OPERAM tool identified 166 (92%) MRRs (62% through explicit triggers). The STOPP/START criteria identified 23 (13%, 7% through explicit triggers), the ADR tool identified 51 (28%, all explicit triggers), and the QUADRAT tool identified 76 (42%; all explicit triggers) MRRs. Of the 72 potentially preventable MRRs, OPERAM identified 59 (82%), STOPP/START identified 18 (25%), ADR identified 20 (28%), and QUADRAT identified 21 (29%).

conclusionThe original OPERAM tool identified the highest proportion of (preventable) MRRs. However, this tool includes many implicit triggers requiring expert clinical knowledge. Future studies should assess the practicality of implementing this tool in daily practice.

Indexed as

Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsPatient ReadmissionAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHospitals, TeachingHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective Studiesadverse drug eventsmedication‐related readmissionsmedication safetytrigger tools

Identifiers

PMID39382112
PMCPMC11734086

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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.