The Feasibility and Acceptability of a Collaborative Deprescribing Intervention to Reduce Anticholinergic Burden Among Hospitalised Older Patients (DART)

The feasibility and acceptability of a collaborative deprescribing intervention to reduce anticholinergic burden among hospitalised older patients

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Eligible Patients Are Aged 65 Years or More Admitted to One of the Five Medicines for Older People Wards, Who Have ACB Score of 3 or More
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Patients will receive a collaborative deprescribing intervention

Detailed Description

Why this research is important? It is estimated that over one third of all older adults are prescribed medication which are known to have "anticholinergic" side effects. These anticholinergic side effects can include an increased risk of falls, delirium, and memory problems. People who have a high number of anticholinergic medications have an increased risk of these side effects. This can be measured as their anticholinergic burden (ACB). Several tools have been developed to assess the ACB score, by checking a person's medication list, with the aim of reducing these medications where possible (deprescribing).

The study aim The project team worked with a company to design an online tool which can calculate the total ACB score for patients using their electronic medication list. It can also list the individual anticholinergic medications contributing to that score. Patients with high ACB score will be highlighted to healthcare staff including pharmacists, nurses, and doctors. In this project, we plan to understand how this tool can be used by clinicians in older persons wards to reduce the number of anticholinergic medications prescribed where appropriate.

Our approach Working with doctors and pharmacists in one large hospital, we agreed how the tool should be used. First, pharmacists with check weekly using the digital tool how many patients have high ACB scores. Then they would highlight in patients' medical notes the list of medications with high anticholinergic effects using a sticker note. The doctor looking after the patient then sees the note which would prompt him/her to either stop the drug, reduce the dose or switch to a safer drug.

We will test this intervention among 50 patients admitted to older people wards. We will collect information before and after receiving the intervention including number and type of medications prescribed, quality of life, and cognition. We will also talk to staff and patients to understand their views about the intervention, any challenges, and how to improve the process.

Involving patients and public Two patient and public contributors have been actively involved in developing this research proposal. They represent an older person with comorbidity and polypharmacy and a carer, and both have lived experience of managing polypharmacy following hospital admission. They will continue to provide input on study procedures and materials and contribute to plans for sharing the findings.

Sharing the study findings We will share the findings with public, health professionals, researchers and policymakers through plain English summaries, social media, policy briefing documents, scientific papers, conferences and other meetings.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 21

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Southampton, United Kingdom
    • University Hospital Southampton

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients aged 65 years or more admitted to one of the five Medicine for Older People wards, who have ACB score of 3 or more

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Eligible patients aged 65 years or more admitted to one of the five Medicine for Older People wards, who have ACB score of 3 or more

Exclusion Criteria:

• Those who are expected to have a limited life expectancy, receiving palliative care will be excluded.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
number of medications	number of medications	Baseline and 3 months
anticholinergic burden scores	anticholinergic burden scores	baseline and 3 months
Activities of Daily Living	Activities of Daily Living	Baseline and 3 months
frailty status	frailty status	Baseline and 3 months
cognition	cognition	Baseline and 3 months
Health related quality of life (SF36)	Heath related quality of life (SF36)	Baseline and 3 months
delirium	delirium	Baseline and 3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Healthcare resouce use	Healthcare resource use	Baseline and 3 months
adverse events	adverse events	Baseline and 3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Southampton
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Kinda Ibrahim, PhD, University of Southampton

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• DART website

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 22, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): February 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 14, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 14, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 14, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: frailty; polypharmacy; older people; anticholinergic burden
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Frailty
• Other Study ID Numbers: DART351020

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: The individual participant data (IPD) that support the findings of this study are not publicly available due to privacy and confidentiality restrictions. The dataset contains small sample size and potentially identifiable information, and sharing the raw data could compromise participant confidentiality. Aggregated data supporting the findings will be included within the published article.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No