Protocol of a tailored educational intervention for general practitioners on potentially inappropriate medications among older patients at community healthcare institutions in Beijing, China: a cluster-randomised controlled trial

Abstract

IntroductionPrescribing of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) has become a prominent issue of public concern among elderly patients. However, no research has involved interventions on PIMs of Chinese elderly patients seeking care at primary healthcare. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored educational intervention programme for general practitioners (GPs), aiming at reducing the occurrence of PIMs in elderly patients.Methods and analysisThis is a parallel group, controlled, cluster-randomised trial, with blinded evaluation of outcomes and data analysis, and un-blinded intervention. Twenty primary community healthcare stations (CHSs) in Dongcheng district in Beijing will be randomised to intervention and control arm with an allocation ratio of 1:1. GPs in CHSs randomised to the intervention arm will receive a two-component intervention: general training of PIMs and distribution of PIMs handbook. GPs in the control arm will assess and manage patients according to the institutions’ routine practice. The primary outcome is the change in PIMs patient visit rate.Ethics and disseminationEthics committee approval of this study was obtained from Peking University Institution Review Board (IRB00001052-19074). The findings will be published in scientific and conference presentations.Trial registration numberChiCTR2100047788.