An Intuitive, Non-intrusive, Approach to Reduce Patient Harm From Inappropriate Dosing of High-risk Drugs in Older Adult Patients Across an Urban Safety Net Hospital System

This study will assess whether a modification in the default dose and frequency (the first option a provider sees) during electronic prescribing of a high-risk drug can impact prescribing behavior and subsequent changes in average dose for the targeted high-risk drug, when prescribed to a hospitalized patient aged ≥65 years. In this cluster randomized crossover (CRXO) trial we will randomize a non-intrusive "nudge" intervention, which involves modifying the default dose for high-risk drugs when prescribed electronically to hospitalized patients aged ≥65 years. The CRXO trial involves 10 sites in an urban health system: five sites will start the trial under the intervention/control during a first time period (T1) after which they switch intervention/control status (T2). The primary outcome is prescription rate of a lower default dose (i.e. the geriatric standard) for 8 high-risk drugs. This study will inform the effectiveness of EHR-based "nudge" interventions to reduce inappropriate prescribing of high-risk drugs for elderly patients.

Analyses ongoing, expected to finalize spring 2023