The Case for Human-Centered Research on the Complex Patient Journey of Deprescribing

Abstract

Current models of the deprescribing process are largely clinician driven and limited to a single point in time. Our objective with this work was to investigate the effects of these existing models on interventions targeting older adults. Studies identified in an existing systematic literature review were examined and classified in terms of who within the deprescribing process the intervention targeted (target classification) and when in the process they were targeted (temporal classification). It was found that the vast majority of interventions targeted clinicians and focused on actions taken before or during the deprescribing touchpoint. Additionally, older adults with dementia and their caregivers were often excluded from these studies. We argue that the deprescribing process needs to be reframed as a patient journey that unfolds over time in order to address these gaps.