Medication Deprescribing in Elder People with Diabetes and other Cardio-metabolic Comorbidities during end-of-life care
What we are doing?
To explore whether deprescribing interventions have had any impact in the last year of life in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardio-metabolic comorbidities. A systematic literature review is being conducted to isolate the impact of deprescribing on the quality of patient life, hospitalizations, and adverse events in the final year of life. Trends will then be identified using retrospective CPRD data to identify the number of prescribed medications per patient, the number of preventative medications being used per patient and the duration of use of medications being used in the last year of life. The perspectives of healthcare professionals towards deprescribing will also be explored.
Why we are doing it?
Patients with type 2 diabetes and other cardio-metabolic conditions have increased risk factors associated with death when glycaemic control is intensively managed. Clinicians have found that tight glycaemic control and regular blood glucose monitoring in end-of-life patients is of no benefit and has the potential to negatively impact the quality of life of the patient in their final months. With the risk of adverse events increased in the elderly population and the increasing incidence of polypharmacy, it is vital that new evidence is found to address the needs of medication optimization.
What the benefits will be and to whom?
The aim is to optimize medications in the over 65 population with type 2 diabetes and other cardio-metabolic conditions during their end-of-life care, to improve their quality of life and to reduce the number of adverse effects that result from inappropriate polypharmacy.
Who we are working with?
- University of Leicester
- Leicester Diabetes Research Centre
Contact
Elizabeth Hickman, PhD student, Leicester of University, Diabetes Research Centre, emh35@leicester.ac.uk.