Modified Delphi Study: Taking a closer look at improving prescribing for older adults with multimorbidity

With a rising concern in potentially inappropriate prescribing among older adults, GERI conducted a modified Delphi study across a period of ten months in 2020. The aim of this study was to identify key components and strategies for the construction of a context-relevant intervention to facilitate appropriate prescribing in outpatient clinics in Singapore's public hospitals.

The Delphi technique is commonly used in health services research to obtain experts’ consensus on topics where evidence is lacking. This particular study was conducted over two rounds using the modified Delphi technique, where the first round began with a questionnaire based on results from a scoping review conducted by GERI. 

Through this study, seven intervention elements and 14 potential strategies in the form of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) were identified as important to be considered for adoption in the development of an intervention to optimise prescribing. 

Full publication is available online via subscription.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41999-021-00566-5.