Educating Homecare Nurses about Deprescribing of Medications to Manage Polypharmacy for Older Adults.
Winnie Sun, Farah Tahsin, Jennifer Abbass Dick and 5 others
PMID 33435859WHAT IT FOUND
Homecare nurses found a 90-minute deprescribing training acceptable and relevant.
They reported increased willingness to support deprescribing but identified gaps in knowledge about specific tools and how to engage physicians in conversations.
Key findings
0195% of nurses found the educational package relevant and informative, and 89% expressed high interest in supporting deprescribing in practice.
02Nurses reported only moderate awareness of key resources, with 61% somewhat aware of deprescribing tools and 47% aware of the Canadian Deprescribing Network.
03Qualitative feedback highlighted a need for training on how to initiate deprescribing conversations with physicians and families to gain buy-in.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in a single homecare organization in Ontario, which limits generalizability. Participants were provided with lunch and snacks, which may have introduced selection bias toward highly motivated individuals. The study used a pilot design without a control group, so it cannot determine if the training actually changed clinical practice or patient outcomes. Results rely on self-reported perceptions of knowledge and willingness rather than observed behavior.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The work was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this training improves patient outcomes or medication safety. The study only measured nurses' perceptions of the training's acceptability and their self-reported willingness to deprescribe, not actual clinical changes or patient health results.