Reducing High-Risk Geriatric Polypharmacy Via EHR Nudges R01 Trial

NCT ID: NCT05656560

Last Updated: 2025-03-30

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

786 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-06-08

Study Completion Date

2026-05-31

Brief Summary

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High-risk polypharmacy is common among older adults in the United States, is particularly dangerous for individuals with dementia or cognitive impairment, and is associated with harms such as adverse drug reactions, falls, and higher costs of care. This project aims to test in a pragmatic clinic-randomized controlled trial two electronic health record-based behavioral economic nudges to help clinicians reduce high-risk polypharmacy among their older adult patients and in the subgroup with dementia or cognitive impairment.

The main questions this trial aims to answer are:

Aim 1: To evaluate the effects of an EHR-based commitment nudge, a justification nudge, and the combination of both nudges on a composite measure of high-risk polypharmacy via a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. The investigators will use cluster randomization in which primary care clinics are randomized to receive 0, 1, or 2 nudges using a factorial design. The nudges will run for 18 months, followed by 12 months of observation to assess persistence of effects.

Aim 2: To qualitatively and quantitatively assess clinician experiences with the EHR-based nudges, including their acceptability and effects on workflow. At the conclusion of the intervention period, the investigators will perform semi-structured interviews and field a clinician survey.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Polypharmacy

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

FACTORIAL

Primary Study Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Clinician education only

Online clinician education

Group Type OTHER

Clinician education

Intervention Type OTHER

Brief, online education module for primary care clinicians

Commitment nudge

The commitment nudge will be an EHR alert that is triggered when a clinician renews or orders a qualifying medication in any Epic encounter (including non-face-to-face encounters) for a patient aged 65 or greater who meets criteria for high-risk polypharmacy. When triggered, the commitment nudge will offer the clinician a choice option that sets a reminder to discuss polypharmacy at the patient's next visit date.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Clinical decision support (CDS)-Commitment nudge

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

EHR clinical decision support alerts-clinician commitment to discuss high risk polypharmacy

Clinician education

Intervention Type OTHER

Brief, online education module for primary care clinicians

Justification nudge

The justification nudge will be an EHR alert triggered for patients with high-risk polypharmacy when a clinician begins to renew or newly prescribe a medication that causes a high-risk criterion to be fulfilled (i.e., a medication meeting causing 1 of the 7 high-risk polypharmacy criteria/primary study measures to be met). This alert will inform the clinician of the high-risk nature of the prescription and request a free-text justification for starting or renewing the medication. This written justification will appear in the EHR in a section of that encounter that other EHR users can see.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Clinician education

Intervention Type OTHER

Brief, online education module for primary care clinicians

Clinical decision support (CDS)-Justification nudge

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

EHR clinical decision support alerts-clinician rational for high risk polypharmacy

Commitment nudge + Justification nudge

This study arm will receive both the commitment nudge and the justification nudge.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Clinical decision support (CDS)-Commitment nudge

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

EHR clinical decision support alerts-clinician commitment to discuss high risk polypharmacy

Clinician education

Intervention Type OTHER

Brief, online education module for primary care clinicians

Clinical decision support (CDS)-Justification nudge

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

EHR clinical decision support alerts-clinician rational for high risk polypharmacy

Interventions

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Clinical decision support (CDS)-Commitment nudge

EHR clinical decision support alerts-clinician commitment to discuss high risk polypharmacy

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Clinician education

Brief, online education module for primary care clinicians

Intervention Type OTHER

Clinical decision support (CDS)-Justification nudge

EHR clinical decision support alerts-clinician rational for high risk polypharmacy

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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Commitment nudge Justification nudge

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Northwestern Medicine or UPMC primary care clinic: Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, or General Practice or Geriatrics

Exclusion Criteria

* None
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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National Institute on Aging (NIA)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Southern California

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of California, Los Angeles

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Northwestern University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Stephen Persell, MD, MPH

Professor; Director, Center for Primary Care Innovation

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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Northwestern Medicine

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Site Status

UPMC

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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R01AG070054

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

STU00213231

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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