TY - JOUR
T1 - Attitudes towards deprescribing among multi-ethnic community-dwelling older patients and caregivers in Malaysia
T2 - a cross-sectional questionnaire study
AU - Kua, Kok Pim
AU - Saw, Pui San
AU - Lee, Shaun Wen Huey
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was approved by the Medical Research and Ethics Committee Malaysia (NMRR-17-1591-36723) and the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (2017-11335-14404).
Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the Director-General of Health Malaysia, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham bin Abdullah for permission to publish this paper. Our sincerest profuse thanks to Dr Mohamed Paid bin Yusof and Dr Haslinda binti Hassan for consent to conduct this survey in the public health clinic. Our heartfelt appreciation also to Mr Asmarul Akram bin Abdullah Zawawi, Dr Chong-Han Kua, Ms Ly Huy Lau, Ms Harn Yunn Law, Ms Ching Fang Saw and Ms Xin Rou Teh in assisting the research implementation and data collection. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Kok Pim Kua, Pui San Saw, and Shaun Wen Huey Lee declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Copyright:
Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/6
Y1 - 2019/6
N2 - Background Deprescribing describes a process of medication regimen optimization with the aim to reduce adverse events and improve quality of life. There is limited research on perceptions of older adults, defined as those 60 years of age and older, about their willingness to cease a medication in developing countries. Objective To ascertain patients’ attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and experiences regarding the number of medications they were taking and their opinions regarding deprescribing. Setting A primary care health clinic and three community pharmacies in Malaysia. Method A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted by administering the revised Patients’ Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire to older adults aged 60 years and over or caregivers attending a health clinic and three community pharmacies in Malaysia. Descriptive results were reported for participants’ characteristics and questionnaire responses. Analysis of correlation between participant characteristics and their responses was performed using Spearman’s correlation. Main outcome measure Patients’ and caregivers’ attitudes and beliefs towards reducing medications and characteristics of patients such as age, gender, education level, number of medication taken and number of medical center managing the patient. Results 650 participants were approached and the response rate was 85.2%. A total of 554 participants completed the questionnaire (502 older adults and 52 caregivers). Older adults in the study were taking a median of three medications and/or supplements compared to four in caregiver recipients. 88.1% of older adults were satisfied with their current medication regimen and 67.7% would like to try stopping or reducing the dose of their medicines when their doctor recommended. 82.7% of caregivers were satisfied with their care recipient’s current medications and 65.4% were willing to stop taking or reduce the number of drugs taken by their care recipient’s upon doctor’s recommendation. Older adults (p = 0.003) and those with lower education level (p < 0.001) were more willing to have their medications deprescribed. Other demographic characteristics such as gender, number of medication taken or number of doctors managing patient were not found to be correlated with willingness to stop a medication. Conclusion Older adults taking multiple medications for various medical conditions were largely accepting of a trial of cessation of medication.
AB - Background Deprescribing describes a process of medication regimen optimization with the aim to reduce adverse events and improve quality of life. There is limited research on perceptions of older adults, defined as those 60 years of age and older, about their willingness to cease a medication in developing countries. Objective To ascertain patients’ attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and experiences regarding the number of medications they were taking and their opinions regarding deprescribing. Setting A primary care health clinic and three community pharmacies in Malaysia. Method A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted by administering the revised Patients’ Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire to older adults aged 60 years and over or caregivers attending a health clinic and three community pharmacies in Malaysia. Descriptive results were reported for participants’ characteristics and questionnaire responses. Analysis of correlation between participant characteristics and their responses was performed using Spearman’s correlation. Main outcome measure Patients’ and caregivers’ attitudes and beliefs towards reducing medications and characteristics of patients such as age, gender, education level, number of medication taken and number of medical center managing the patient. Results 650 participants were approached and the response rate was 85.2%. A total of 554 participants completed the questionnaire (502 older adults and 52 caregivers). Older adults in the study were taking a median of three medications and/or supplements compared to four in caregiver recipients. 88.1% of older adults were satisfied with their current medication regimen and 67.7% would like to try stopping or reducing the dose of their medicines when their doctor recommended. 82.7% of caregivers were satisfied with their care recipient’s current medications and 65.4% were willing to stop taking or reduce the number of drugs taken by their care recipient’s upon doctor’s recommendation. Older adults (p = 0.003) and those with lower education level (p < 0.001) were more willing to have their medications deprescribed. Other demographic characteristics such as gender, number of medication taken or number of doctors managing patient were not found to be correlated with willingness to stop a medication. Conclusion Older adults taking multiple medications for various medical conditions were largely accepting of a trial of cessation of medication.
KW - Attitude
KW - Caregiver
KW - Deprescribing
KW - Malaysia
KW - Polypharmacy
KW - Potentially inappropriate medication
KW - Questionnaire
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064939712&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11096-019-00829-z
DO - 10.1007/s11096-019-00829-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 31020599
AN - SCOPUS:85064939712
SN - 2210-7703
VL - 41
SP - 793
EP - 803
JO - International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
JF - International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
IS - 3
ER -