We all know benzodiazepines, anticholinergics, and nonbenzodiazepine sedatives are potentially inappropriate for older adults. The Beers Criteria makes that clear. The 30% increased risk of falls and hospitalizations makes it clearer.
Yet deprescribing rarely happens. Not because physicians don't know better, but because the conversation is time-consuming, uncomfortable, and often met with resistance. It's easier to maintain the status quo than to have a difficult discussion about stopping a medication a patient has taken for years.
But researchers at MGH tested two EHR-based behavioral interventions that increased deprescribing rates by 10% compared to usual care—without requiring pharmacists, specialist referrals, or patient education programs. The interventions worked by embedding simple nudges into physician workflows at the exact moment they mattered.
And the data reveals exactly which approach worked best...
