Evaluation of a benzodiazepine deprescribing quality improvement initiative for older adults in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Older adults are commonly prescribed long-term benzodiazepines for anxiety and insomnia despite evidence of risks and limited evidence of long-term benefits. Recent quality measures and guidelines have recommended benzodiazepine deprescribing, yet there is little real-world data on clinic-based deprescribing programs. METHODS: We developed a benzodiazepine deprescribing quality improvement program for older adults at a large US academic medical center. The program targeted adults aged 65 years and older who were prescribed chronic benzodiazepines by their primary care physician (PCP). PCPs were contacted to opt-out patients not suitable for deprescribing; then eligible patients were mailed a letter discussing patient-specific risks and advising them to discuss deprescribing with their PCP or a pharmacist who was available to support tapering. The primary outcomes were the number of patients who discussed deprescribing and who initiated a taper within 90 days of outreach. RESULTS: Of 504 older adults prescribed benzodiazepines, 133 (26%) were opted out by their PCPs leaving a cohort of 371 (median age 71 years [IQR 68-75], 58% female, 82% White). The median daily diazepam milligram equivalent was 5 mg (IQR 3-6 mg) and 30% were prescribed long-acting benzodiazepines. Three months following patient outreach, 97 patients (26%) had a documented discussion of benzodiazepines with their PCP or clinic pharmacist. Of these patients, 35 (36%) had documentation of a deprescribing discussion and 25 (26%) initiated a taper. At 12 months, 16 patients (64%) were tapered successfully, with nine (36%) patients taking a lower benzodiazepine dose and seven (28%) discontinuing benzodiazepines completely. CONCLUSIONS: A low-intensity benzodiazepine deprescribing outreach program led to deprescribing conversations for a minority of patients, but one-quarter of older adults who engaged in a conversation chose to taper and nearly two-thirds sustained reduced use. Incorporating benzodiazepine deprescribing into routine care may require more intensive population-health efforts to engage patients and clinicians.

Reducing use of triple therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention: Results from a hospital-wide quality improvement initiative.

BACKGROUND: Trials have shown that for patients on oral anticoagulants (OAC), a short course of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with OAC reduces post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) bleeding without increasing ischemic events. Adoption of this strategy has been variable. We evaluated the impact of an institutional quality improvement (QI) initiative to reduce the use of triple therapy (TT, OAC + DAPT) and improve discharge communication post-PCI. METHODS: A hospital-wide QI initiative was developed to minimize time on TT post-PCI. Interventions included institutional guidelines emphasizing discharge on OAC with a P2Y12 inhibitor or reducing TT duration to ≤30 days, changes to the computerized decision-support system, and an educational curriculum for house staff. PCI patients 18 months before and after the initiative (2017-2020) were reviewed along with a faculty survey assessing prescribing practices to evaluate the efficacy of the interventions. RESULTS: Among 2797 PCIs reviewed, 431 were included based on OAC at discharge: 24.9% female, 80.1% White, and the mean age was 74 years. The most common indications for OAC were atrial fibrillation (70.1%) and left ventricular dysfunction (11.4%). Mean duration of TT decreased (58.7-37.8 days, p = 0.02) and patients discharged on TT ≤ 30 days increased (24%-37%, p = 0.019) after intervention. Of surveyed faculty (n = 20), 75.0% reported familiarity with the guidelines and 57.9% reported using them to make therapy decisions. CONCLUSIONS: Following the implementation of a QI initiative, fewer patients were discharged on TT and shorter durations of TT were used. Similar initiatives should be considered at institutions with the prevalent use of TT post-PCI.