Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39985190›Full record

ArticleAustralasian journal on ageing2025

Deprescribing in Australian residential aged care facilities: A scoping review.

Jenny Xinyu Liang, Louise Thai, Madeleine Healy, Adam Mohd Idris, Jian Wey Chin, Christopher Grossman

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Australasian journal on ageing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

6 authors.

Jenny Xinyu LiangAged and Rehabilitation Services, Kingston Centre, Monash Health, Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3876-1978
Louise ThaiCalvary Health Care Bethlehem, Caulfield South, Victoria, Australia.
Madeleine HealyAged and Rehabilitation Services, Kingston Centre, Monash Health, Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia.
Adam Mohd IdrisAged and Rehabilitation Services, Kingston Centre, Monash Health, Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia.
Jian Wey ChinAged and Rehabilitation Services, Kingston Centre, Monash Health, Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia.
Christopher GrossmanCalvary Health Care Bethlehem, Caulfield South, Victoria, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesOlder adults residing in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) are particularly vulnerable to negative health outcomes from polypharmacy and suboptimal prescribing in the context of frailty and multimorbidity. Deprescribing, the intentional withdrawal of inappropriate medications, has been proposed as a promising approach to reduce polypharmacy-related harms. Examining current deprescribing interventions in RACFs would help identify gaps in research knowledge. The aim of this scoping review was to synthesise the current literature, describe the current knowledge gaps and future research priorities that the authors identified.

methodsMEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and AgeLine were searched according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines for scoping reviews from inception until February 2024 to identify relevant studies published in the English language.

resultsOf the 2244 articles screened, 13 studies (total of 133,150 RACF residents across Australia) were identified examining deprescribing interventions. Six studies were controlled trials and seven studies were observational studies. There were six pharmacist-led interventions, five multidisciplinary team-led interventions and two physician-led interventions. Main themes discussed included as follows: multidisciplinary care, education for health-care professionals, refining outcome measures, overcoming system issues and research logistics. The most commonly targeted medications in the included studies were psychotropics.

conclusionsDeprescribing is an important intervention for RACF residents but more research into translating evidence into clinically meaningful outcomes is needed. Successful studies typically involved multidisciplinary interventions, had an educational component, followed-up longitudinally with residents and carers and involved stakeholders, such as nurses. The economic impacts of deprescribing in this cohort are poorly understood.

Indexed as

DeprescriptionsHomes for the AgedInappropriate PrescribingNursing HomesAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsAustraliaHumansPolypharmacybenzodiazepinesdeprescribingoutpatientspolypharmacyresidential aged care facility

Identifiers

PMID39985190
PMCPMC11845899

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Registered trials

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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.