A randomized controlled trial to evaluate innovative decision support in the context of fall prevention
Abstract Falls are a major cause of injuries among older people, with medication being a key risk factor. The SNOWDROP intervention introduces a clinical decision support system for general practitioners (GPs) offering personalized deprescribing advice, and a patient portal containing information an...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | npj Digital Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-025-01822-9 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Falls are a major cause of injuries among older people, with medication being a key risk factor. The SNOWDROP intervention introduces a clinical decision support system for general practitioners (GPs) offering personalized deprescribing advice, and a patient portal containing information and a question prompt list. This study evaluates the intervention’s effectiveness through a cluster randomized controlled trial in six general practices, with 84 patients (Mage = 78.01, SDage = 5.71). Patients discussed their medication-related fall risk with their GP. Data were collected via questionnaires and audio-recorded consultations. The intervention increased shared decision-making for both GPs (p < 0.001) and patients (p < 0.001), increased patients’ satisfaction with communication (p = 0.001), and reduced patients’ decisional conflict (p < 0.001). Patients’ beliefs about medication (necessity and concerns) remained stable. The effect on changes to the medication was inconclusive. These results highlight the potential of technology in healthcare and warrant future research. |
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| ISSN: | 2398-6352 |