Patient Values and Preferences Surrounding Proton Pump Inhibitor Use: A Scoping Review

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) treat various upper gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Around 50% of patients may remain on PPIs long-term without ongoing need. Eligible patients should be offered the choice of continuing their PPI or trying to reduce/stop their PPI (deprescribing), a choice dependent on values and preferences.

Our objective was to systematically scope the available evidence on patient values and preferences surrounding continued PPI treatment and/or the decision to try a reduction in their PPI. We searched the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases and the grey literature as of 9 August 2016 for studies of any design examining patient values and preferences toward PPI treatment and/or deprescribing. We included patients aged ≥18 years taking PPIs for upper GI diseases.

We located 12 eligible studies (seven surveys, four qualitative studies, one randomized controlled trial). One study only examined values and preferences towards reducing PPI use, five studies looked only at PPI treatment (initiation/continuation), four studies assessed both PPI treatment and reduction, and two studies evaluated PPI treatment and switching (to alternative PPIs). Patients value symptom control highly and worry about symptoms returning if the PPI is reduced. They are encouraged to consider reducing their PPI if a clinician provides advice and education. All five studies that examined reducing PPI use suggest patients should understand the rationale for considering continuation versus deprescribing of PPIs and should know what to expect from deprescribing. Patients are encouraged by knowing they can return to their previous dose if necessary. Our results were limited by the small sizes of studies and the heterogeneous populations.

Patients are willing to discuss the option of continuing PPI use or trying to reduce their PPI; however, a range of attitudes exist. The results suggest that reducing a PPI is a preference-sensitive decision. Therefore, patient attitudes should be elicited and incorporated into shared decision making surrounding the decision to continue or try deprescribing a PPI, and structured tools will be helpful to encourage this.