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NCT Number: NCT07202962

Prevalence of Inappropriate Prescriptions and Omitted Therapies in Hospitalized Elderly: STOPP/START Criteria Analysis

Evaluate the prevalence of potentially inappropriate prescriptions (PIPs) and potential omitted prescriptions (PPOs) in elderly patient upon admission to the acute geriatric department, based on adherence or non-adherence to the recommendations specified in STOPP and START criteria.

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Key information

Conditions

Polypharmacy (People Under Treatment With 5 or More Drugs) Deprescribing Elderly (People Aged 65 or More) Hospitalization

Age range

75 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Regione del Veneto - AULSS n. 7 Pedemontana

Santorso, Vicenza, 36014, Italy

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Elderly patients (aged >75 years) admitted to the Geriatrics Department at Santorso, Alto Vicentino Hospital.
  • Currently undergoing pharmacological treatment at the time of admission.

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients placed in palliative therapy upon admission to the department due to incurability of the underlying pathologies

Treatment and study plan

medication review and deprescribing

Drug

The study protocol includes the following assessments:

  • T0: first data collection upon admission to the ward;
  • T1 assessment: pharmacological review at discharge. Subjects who meet all study eligibility criteria will come consecutively enrolled in the study during admission to the department (T0).

By consulting the electronic health record, interviewing patients and family members and personal documentation, the following data will be collected:

  • Remote and immediate pathological history;
  • Family and social history;
  • Home therapy;
  • BRIEF-MPI. Home therapy and therapy suggested at discharge will be compared with the STOPPandSTART criteria to evaluate the prevalence of potential therapies inappropriate and to study possible interactions and contraindications pharmacological and for reporting possible adverse reactions to drugs. The prevalence and possible prevalence of each individual STOPPandSTART criterion will be assessed association with other variables of interest.

Primary outcomes

  1. Prevalence of Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions (PIP) (%)

    Time frame: Data collected at time Day 0 is analyzed by day 4. Data collected at time Day 1 is analyzed by day 4

    Percentage of elderly patients with at least one potentially inappropriate prescription identified at hospital admission (day 0) and at discharge (day 1) in the acute geriatric ward, based on the STOPP criteria. The measurement is performed by comparing the patient's medication regimen with the recommendations provided in the STOPP criteria.

  2. Prevalence of Potentially Omitted Prescriptions (PPO) (%)

    Time frame: Data collected at time Day 0 is analyzed by day 4. Data collected at time Day 1 is analyzed by day 4

    Percentage of elderly patients with at least one potentially omitted prescription identified at hospital admission (day 0) and at discharge (day 1) in the acute geriatric ward, based on the START criteria. The measurement is based on the absence of indicated medications according to the START criteria recommendations.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Prevalence of Pharmacological Interactions (%)

    Time frame: Data collected at time Day 0 is analyzed by day 4. Data collected at time Day 1 is analyzed by day 4

    Percentage of patients with at least one clinically significant drug-drug interaction identified through analysis of the medication regimen using standard drug interaction checkers. Assessed at admission and discharge.

  2. Post-Discharge Destination (Binary Variable)

    Time frame: Data collected at time Day 0 is analyzed by day 4.

    Discharge destination classified as a binary variable (e.g., Home vs. Institutional care). Each category is analyzed separately.

  3. Presence of Geriatric Syndromes (Yes/No)

    Time frame: Data collected at time Day 0 is analyzed by day 4.

    Presence of specific geriatric syndromes (e.g., delirium, falls, incontinence, pressure ulcers, etc.) assessed as separate binary variables (Yes/No) for each syndrome, based on clinical records and standardized assessment tools.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Regione del Veneto - AULSS n. 7 Pedemontana

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Study of Prevalence of Inappropriate Prescriptions in Hospitalized Elderly Patients According to STOPP&Amp;START Criteria (Screening Tools of Older Person Prescriptions and Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment) - SPIna Protocol

Acronym: SPIna

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Oct 2, 2025
Registry last updated
Oct 2, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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