Deprescribing perceptions and practice reported by multidisciplinary hospital clinicians after, and by medical students before and after, viewing an e-learning module.

BACKGROUND

There are many barriers to deprescribing in the routine care of older inpatients with polypharmacy. Implementation is limited by factors related to clinicians, patients, and the acute care setting. A short (11 min) e-learning module for multidisciplinary hospital clinicians was developed to address two commonly reported barriers: awareness of polypharmacy and self-efficacy in deprescribing.

OBJECTIVES

1. Describe the level of awareness of polypharmacy and self-efficacy of deprescribing in multi-disciplinary hospital clinicians following completion of an online e-learning module; and 2) describe the immediate impact of an online educational module in awareness and self-efficacy of polypharmacy and deprescribing in senior medical students.

METHODS

A questionnaire was developed and administered to hospital clinicians following completion of the e-learning module. Senior medical students undertook the questionnaire pre- and post-module.

RESULTS

Overall, 99 hospital clinicians with diverse clinical roles, experience, and ages, and 30 medical students completed the questionnaire. Although most (≥80%) hospital clinicians reported a general awareness of polypharmacy and deprescribing, there was moderate to low current activity in medication review and deprescribing, a perceived lack of role in medication review by junior doctors, and minimal knowledge of deprescribing tools. Use of a previously validated self-efficacy questionnaire showed lowest self-efficacy in domains related to developing deprescribing plans and implementing them. Pre-post analysis of medical student responses found a small statistically significant improvement following viewing the module in awareness of polypharmacy, deprescribing and deprescribing tools, perception of their role in deprescribing, and self-efficacy in planning and implementation of deprescribing decisions.

CONCLUSIONS

Hospital clinicians and senior medical students had limited self-efficacy in deprescribing and hospital clinicians reported they did not deprescribe frequently. Targets for educational and behavioral interventions were identified. A short e-learning module on polypharmacy and deprescribing may be a useful component of a multi-strategic intervention to implement deprescribing into routine inpatient care.