Reducing CNS-Active Medications to Prevent Falls and Injuries in Older Adults

NCT ID: NCT05689554

Last Updated: 2024-12-09

Study Results

Results available

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

2367 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-04-01

Study Completion Date

2023-09-30

Brief Summary

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The overall objective of STOP-FALLS is to test whether a patient-centered deprescribing intervention that focuses on CNS-active medications reduces medically treated falls among older adults. The aims are: AIM 1: Adapt and pilot-test an evidence-based medication reduction intervention for use in an integrated health care system. AIM 2: Implement and evaluate the adapted intervention using a cluster-randomized controlled trial design. Aim 3: Assess barriers and facilitators to intervention implementation.

Detailed Description

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Background: Central nervous system (CNS) active medications have been consistently linked to falls in older people. However, few randomized trials have evaluated whether CNS-active medication reduction reduces falls and fall-related injuries. The objective of the Reducing CNS-active Medications to Prevent Falls and Injuries in Older Adults (STOP-FALLS) trial is to test the effectiveness of a health-system-embedded deprescribing intervention focused on CNS-active medications on the incidence of medically treated falls among community-dwelling older adults.

This is a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, parallel-group, controlled clinical trial within Kaiser Permanente Washington to test the effectiveness of a 12-month deprescribing intervention consisting of: 1) an educational brochure and self-care handouts mailed to older adults prescribed one or more CNS-active medications (aged 60+: opioids, benzodiazepines and Z-drugs; aged 65+: skeletal muscle relaxants, tricyclic antidepressants, and antihistamines) and 2) decision support for their primary health care providers. Outcomes are examined over 18-26 months post-intervention. The primary outcome is first incident (post-baseline) medically treated fall as determined from health plan data. Sample size calculations ensured at least 80% power to detect a 20% reduction in the rate of medically treated falls for participants receiving care within the intervention (n=9) versus usual care clinics (n=9) assuming 18 months of follow-up. Secondary outcomes include medication discontinuation or dose reduction of any target medications. Safety outcomes include serious adverse drug withdrawal events, unintentional overdose, and death. The study team will also examine medication signetur fields for attempts to decrease medications. The study team will report factors affecting implementation of the intervention.

Conditions

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Aging Accidental Fall

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Intervention

Educational intervention

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

STOP Falls Educational Intervention

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This is a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, parallel-group, controlled clinical trial. The unit of randomization is the clinic, to avoid the risk of contamination if healthcare providers within a clinic were randomized (i.e., reducing the potential for intervention providers to communicate with control providers about the intervention and share materials). Eighteen clinics were identified for the trial, of which 9 were randomized to the intervention and 9 to usual care.

Usual Care

Usual care

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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STOP Falls Educational Intervention

This is a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, parallel-group, controlled clinical trial. The unit of randomization is the clinic, to avoid the risk of contamination if healthcare providers within a clinic were randomized (i.e., reducing the potential for intervention providers to communicate with control providers about the intervention and share materials). Eighteen clinics were identified for the trial, of which 9 were randomized to the intervention and 9 to usual care.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* For opioid and sedative-hypnotic medications, eligible participants are aged 60 years or older, while for skeletal muscle relaxants, tricyclic antidepressants, and first-generation antihistamines, eligible participants are aged 65 years or older.

Eligible participants must be long-term users of the target medication, defined as pharmacy dispensing of at least one of the target medication classes for at least 70 of the prior 90 days.

Further, eligible participants must either be assigned to a primary care provider (PCP) or have had 1+ visits in the prior year with a PCP at one of the 18 Kaiser Permanente Washington clinics participating in the study.

Exclusion Criteria

1. diagnosis of dementia or a prescription for a medication used to treat dementia (i.e., a cholinesterase inhibitor or memantine);
2. residence in a skilled nursing facility;
3. metastatic cancer diagnosis in the prior 12 months;
4. receiving hospice or palliative care;
5. legally blind (unable to read print materials);
6. indication the participant requires a translator (cannot read materials printed in English); g) enrolled in other KPWA opioid deprescribing research studies;

h) enrolled in a KPWA pharmacy-driven initiative to reduce opioid doses; or i) diagnosed with opioid use disorder
Minimum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Washington

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Elizabeth Phelan

Professor, Division of Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Elizabeth Phelan, MD, MS

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Washington

Locations

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Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute

Seattle, Washington, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Drahota A, Udell JE, Mackenzie H, Pugh MT. Psychological and educational interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024 Oct 3;10(10):CD013480. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013480.pub2.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 39360568 (View on PubMed)

Phelan EA, Williamson BD, Balderson BH, Cook AJ, Piccorelli AV, Fujii MM, Nakata KG, Graham VF, Theis MK, Turner JP, Tannenbaum C, Gray SL. Reducing Central Nervous System-Active Medications to Prevent Falls and Injuries Among Older Adults: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Jul 1;7(7):e2424234. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.24234.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 39052289 (View on PubMed)

Balderson BH, Gray SL, Fujii MM, Nakata KG, Williamson BD, Cook AJ, Wellman R, Theis MK, Lewis CC, Key D, Phelan EA. A health-system-embedded deprescribing intervention targeting patients and providers to prevent falls in older adults (STOP-FALLS trial): study protocol for a pragmatic cluster-randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2023 May 11;24(1):322. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07336-7.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 37170329 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

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CD002967

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

SITE00000971

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id