Predictors of older patients' willingness to have medications deprescribed: A cross-sectional study

Deprescribing is a complex process requiring a patient-centred approach. One frequently expressed deprescribing barrier is patients' attitudes and beliefs towards deprescribing. This study aimed to identify the predictors of patients' willingness to have medications deprescribed.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with community-dwelling patients aged ≥65 who are taking at least one regular medication. Data collection included patients' demographic and clinical characteristics and the Portuguese revised Patients' Attitudes Towards Deprescribing (rPATD) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to present the patients' characteristics. Multiple binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of the patients' willingness to have medications deprescribed.

One hundred ninety-two participants (median age 72 years; 65.6% female) were included. Most (83.33%) were willing to have medications deprescribed, and the predictors were age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.136; 95% CI 1.026, 1.258), female sex (aOR = 3.036; 95% CI 1.059, 8.708) and the rPATD concerns about stopping factor (aOR = 0.391; 95% CI 0.203, 0.754).

Most patients were willing to have their medications deprescribed if it is recommended by their doctors. Older age and female sex increased the odds of willingness to deprescribe; higher concerns about stopping medications decreased the odds. These findings suggest that addressing patients' concerns about stopping their medicines may contribute to deprescribing success.