Pharmaco-epidemiology

This program investigates the relationship between frailty status, medication utilisation, and global health outcomes. The aim of this program is to analyse medication utilisation and deprescribing patterns according to frailty status.

This program of research involves performing a systematic analysis of medication utilisation and deprescribing patterns according to frailty status in a large and representative inpatient population. The analyses will enable a comprehensive understanding of prescribing, including unsafe prescribing patterns, and deprescribing in frail patients.

By analysing patterns of disease management by frailty status, specialty, and other clinical and health services featured in hospital-wide data, we can better understand warranted clinical variation. This understanding helps us target areas for quality improvement.

Understanding the benefits, risks, and the acceptable benefit-risk trade-offs for frail patients and caregivers will allow us to better align the provision of care with consumers’ preferences and improve health outcomes.

This research program is led by and Associate Professor Danijela Gnjidic, Professor Kirsten Howard, and Professor Sarah Hilmer from The University of Sydney.