How Doctors Can Help Seniors Cut Down on Risky Meds

Older adults often take medications that can be risky, like benzodiazepines and sedatives. These drugs can cause problems, especially for seniors. Doctors have tried different ways to reduce the use of these medications, but with limited success. One way to help is by using electronic health records (EHRs). These are digital systems that doctors use to keep track of patient information. EHRs can send alerts to doctors when a patient is taking risky medications. These alerts can be designed using behavioral science. This means they are made to influence how doctors prescribe medications. However, these alerts are not always used for reducing medications, or "deprescribing. " This is a problem because deprescribing can help seniors stay healthier. More research is needed to see how well these alerts work for deprescribing. Doctors need better tools to help them make safer choices about medications. EHR-based alerts could be a big help, but they need to be tested more. This way, doctors can make better decisions and keep seniors safe.