Development of video animations to encourage patient-driven deprescribing: A Team Alice Study

Objective: Patient-driven deprescribing initiatives aim to increase patient knowledge and strengthen self-advocacy skills. This article describes the development of three animated videos designed to educate older adults about unsafe prescribing and medication harm, based on the actionable lessons from the death, by polypharmacy, of an older adult in our community. Methods: Using a community based participatory research approach (CBPR), members of three senior centers (n = 53) and the Deprescribing Partnership of Western New York (n = 30) were recruited and participated in two rounds of focus groups to guide the video development. Results: Stakeholder input led to changes in content, wording, and visual presentation. The final versions of the videos emphasize the following messages (1) “New medications and what you should know about the risks”, (2) “What you should do when a doctor tells you never to take a certain medication”, (3) “What you should know about medications when you are in the hospital.” Conclusion: The study highlights the successful process of using CBPR to develop a series of videos designed to provide information on the risks of polypharmacy, and empower older adults to advocate for themselves. Practice implications: Animated educational videos are a novel strategy to address medication harm in older adults. This research is a critical first step to increasing patient-led discussions that reduce the incidence of medication harm and inappropriate medication use among older adults.