Predictors of medicine-related perceptions towards deprescribing inappropriate medications among older adult outpatients in Jordan: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the predictors of medicine-related perceptions towards deprescribing inappropriate medications among older adults in Jordan.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional, correlational study.

SETTING

Data were collected by a graduate nursing student from five outpatient clinics in a selected public hospital in Jordan via inperson interviews 5 days a week over a period of 4 months.

PARTICIPANTS

A convenience sample of 200 older adults who regularly visited the outpatient clinics of the selected public hospital for regular check-ups during July 2023 were recruited.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Predictors of patients' perceived medication concerns, interest in stopping medications, perceived unimportance of medications, and beliefs about medication overuse were examined.

RESULTS

Increased perceived medication concerns among patients were significantly associated with older age (p=0.037), lower level of self-rated general health (p=0.002), less perceived care-provider knowledge of medications (p=0.041), higher perceived unimportance of medicines (p=0.018), less collaboration with care providers (p=0.017), being seen by a clinical pharmacist (p<0.001) and an increased number of prescribed medicines (p<0.001). Increased perceived interest in stopping medications was significantly associated with lower levels of self-rated general health (p=0.029), less perceived involvement in decision-making (p=0.013), higher perceived unimportance of medicines (p=0.002), being seen by a clinical pharmacist (p=0.024) and an increased number of prescribed medicines (p=0.001). Furthermore, increased perceived unimportance of medications among patients was significantly associated with more perceived beliefs about medication overuse (p=0.007), more perceived interest in stopping medicines (p=0.001) and greater perceived medication concerns (p=0.001). Moreover, greater perceived beliefs about medication overuse were significantly associated with older age (p=0.018), higher perceived unimportance of medicines (p=0.016), more collaboration with care providers (p=0.038), having post-traumatic disorder (p=0.018) and an increased number of prescribed medicines (p=0.038).

CONCLUSIONS

The current study examined predictors of medicine-related perceptions towards deprescribing inappropriate medications among older adults. Care providers should discuss the benefits of deprescribing inappropriate medications with their patients to prevent the side effects associated with long-term unnecessary use. Future studies on the effectiveness of an evidence-based deprescribing protocol on minimising the clinical side effects associated with the inappropriate prescription of medications among older adults are recommended.