Workstream 4 – Developing a case-finding tool for patients prescribed medicines with anticholinergic effects

Research team

Peter Gardner, Andy Clegg, Duncan Petty, Muhammad Faisal, David Mehdizadeh, Owen Johnson, Ciarán McInerney, George Peat, Janice Olaniyan.

Collaborations

This is a collaboration between the Safe Use of Medicines and the Digital Innovations Themes of the Yorkshire and Humber Patient Safety Translational Research Centre

Why is this project important?

Currently, there is no way of systematically case-finding patients at higher-risk of suffering and adverse event from medicines until they have experienced them. Older patients (65 years or older) with a diagnosis of frailty are particularly at risk of suffering adverse events from combinations of medicines they take. For this reason, it is important to identify these patients before they experience any adverse effects from their medicines and prevent this from happening

What are we doing?

We are developing a case-finding tool (initially for TPP SystmOne) that will look for patients prescribed medicines with anticholinergic effects and their level of frailty. The tool will help to identify patients who are at higher risk of experiencing an adverse event, such as a fall, or decline in their cognition. The ability of this tool to find affected patients will be tested in a small-scale pilot.

Patient and public involvement and engagement

None

Outputs and impact

The prototype case-finding tool developed for TPP SystmOne will be tested for acceptability and effectiveness as part of future grant application, which also involves other evidence, based approaches to providing “deprescribing” consultations.

Contact for more information

Peter Gardner, Andy Clegg, George Peat