A small randomized feasibility study found similar discussion rates with and without an educational booklet. Medication cessation in the overall sample did not demonstrate a booklet effect.
The pilot findings
Forty-two older hospital patients were randomized to a patient-empowerment booklet or usual care. Twenty-nine completed one-month follow-up. Five intervention participants and five controls reported initiating a discussion with a doctor or pharmacist about stopping benzodiazepines.
Among the followed patients discharged on medication, thirteen reported cessation, split six in the intervention group and seven in control. These counts should not be described as a treatment advantage for the booklet.
Feasibility and effectiveness are different
The study identified recruitment and workflow challenges in a busy hospital. Attrition, self-reported medication use and attitudes, and a short follow-up period restricted precision and interpretation. Some patients may also have needed longer to discuss or complete a taper.
A small inconclusive pilot cannot establish that patient education is ineffective in every setting. It also cannot claim the opposite merely because many participants stopped medication after discharge.
Practical lesson
Keep the intervention-control comparison separate from change over time in both groups. Educational materials may support shared decisions, but this paper did not prove that the booklet caused deprescribing or that cessation was suitable for every participant.
Source paper
Original analysis of the supplied journal article, identified as PMC6351969.
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