Pragmatic Trial Tests EHR Nudges to Reduce High-Risk Polypharmacy in Primary Care — Behavioral Economics Meets Clinical Decision Support
247 Health News Editorial
·3 May 2026
·4 min read
·clinical-trialsA pragmatic US trial tests whether EHR-based behavioral nudges can help primary care clinicians reduce high-risk polypharmacy in older adults. The study evaluates commitment and justification nudges integrated into clinical workflows, with particular focus on patients with dementia or cognitive impairment.
Originally reported by ClinicalTrials.gov
References
- 1.Northwestern University. (2024). Reducing High Risk Polypharmacy Using Behavioral Economics Through Electronic Health Records. ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT05656560. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05656560
- 2.Masnoon, N., Shakib, S., Kalisch-Ellett, L., & Caughey, G. E. (2017). What is polypharmacy? A systematic review of definitions. BMC Geriatrics, 17(1), 230. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-017-0621-2
- 3.By the 2019 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria Update Expert Panel. (2019). American Geriatrics Society 2019 Updated AGS Beers Criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 67(4), 674-694. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15767
- 4.Hemming, K., Haines, T. P., Chilton, P. J., Girling, A. J., & Lilford, R. J. (2015). The stepped wedge cluster randomised trial: rationale, design, analysis, and reporting. BMJ, 350, h391. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.h391
- 5.Thaler, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2021). Nudge: The final edition. Yale University Press.
- 6.Schneider, L. S., Dagerman, K., & Insel, P. S. (2006). Efficacy and adverse effects of atypical antipsychotics for dementia: meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 14(3), 191-210. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.JGP.0000200589.01396.6d
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247 Health News Editorial
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