A novel Artificial Intelligence-based tool to assess anticholinergic burden: a survey

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Geriatrics
• Clinical Pharmacy

Background:

• Many medications have anticholinergic activity, leading to adverse effects like cognitive impairment.
• Assessing cumulative anticholinergic burden (AchB) is crucial for identifying at-risk individuals.
• Over 20 tools exist for AchB assessment, but a consensus on the best tool is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the need for an anticholinergic burden assessment tool.
• To assess the usability and potential of the newly developed International Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden Tool (IACT).

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among healthcare practitioners between February 8 and March 31, 2021.
• The survey assessed the demand for AchB tools and gathered user feedback on the IACT.
• The IACT utilizes natural language processing and chemical structure analysis.

Main Results:

• 110 responses were received globally.
• 86.11% of participants expressed a need for an AchB assessment tool.
• User ratings indicated mixed but generally positive reception for the IACT compared to existing tools.

Conclusions:

• There is a clear demand for a reliable anticholinergic burden calculator.
• The IACT shows promise in meeting this demand by scoring medications based on chemical structure and adverse effects.
• Further validation and adoption of tools like IACT could improve patient safety regarding anticholinergic medications.