Study models how clinicians think about managing drug-drug interactions

Editor's Note

A study published in BMJ Open is “the first to present an illustrative model of clinicians’ real-world decision making for managing DDIs,” the outlet reported on December 1.

DDIs, or drug-drug interactions, are known to cause significant harm (including death), hundreds of thousands of patients hospitalized each year in the U.S. due to their adverse effects. However, little is known about how clinicians become aware of and make decisions regarding these possible interactions, researchers say.

To learn more, researchers analyzed clinicians’ decision-making processes in 20 incidents involving corrective actions addressing drug-drug interaction concerns. They found 19 cognitive cues clinicians use to detect and manage drug-drug interactions. Examples include information about the severity of the drug-drug interaction, the type or degree of side effects, the patient’s expected exposure length, the patient’s medical need, and characteristics of safer medications. They also identified strategies for addressing drug-drug interactions, including investigating alternative treatments, altering dosage, avoiding a specific medication, and educating patients about warning signs.

Researchers suggest that this information can be used to drive warning systems within EHR platforms to provide more timely, actionable information to clinicians.