A randomized controlled trial to evaluate innovative decision support in the context of fall prevention

Falls are a major cause of injuries among older people, with medication being a key risk factor. The SNOWDROP intervention introduces a clinical decision support system for general practitioners (GPs) offering personalized deprescribing advice, and a patient portal containing information and a question prompt list. This study evaluates the intervention’s effectiveness through a cluster randomized controlled trial in six general practices, with 84 patients (M_age = 78.01, SD_age = 5.71). Patients discussed their medication-related fall risk with their GP. Data were collected via questionnaires and audio-recorded consultations. The intervention increased shared decision-making for both GPs (p < 0.001) and patients (p < 0.001), increased patients’ satisfaction with communication (p = 0.001), and reduced patients’ decisional conflict (p < 0.001). Patients’ beliefs about medication (necessity and concerns) remained stable. The effect on changes to the medication was inconclusive. These results highlight the potential of technology in healthcare and warrant future research.