2022
Strategies Associated With Reducing Benzodiazepine Prescribing to Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Study
Maust DT, Takamine L, Wiechers IR, Blow FC, Bohnert ASB, Strominger J, Min L, Krein SL. Strategies Associated With Reducing Benzodiazepine Prescribing to Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Study. The Annals Of Family Medicine 2022, 20: 328-335. PMID: 35879067, PMCID: PMC9328717, DOI: 10.1370/afm.2825.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAverage daily doseDaily doseOlder adultsVeterans Health AdministrationHealth care facilitiesCommunity-based settingsLorazepam equivalentsAppropriate prescribingPrescribing practicesBZD prescribingBZD treatmentOlder veteransCare facilitiesMethods studyHealth AdministrationPotential patientsBenzodiazepinesPrescribingPatient identificationIndividualized recommendationsMixed-methods studyAdultsCliniciansDoseVeterans
2021
Benzodiazepine Prescribing from VA and Medicare to Dually Enrolled Older Veterans: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Lei L, Strominger J, Wiechers IR, Kim HM, Blow FC, Bohnert ASB, Min L, Krein SL, Maust DT. Benzodiazepine Prescribing from VA and Medicare to Dually Enrolled Older Veterans: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2021, 36: 3689-3696. PMID: 34047924, PMCID: PMC8642498, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-06780-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBZD prescriptionOlder veteransBZD prescribingHigher oddsPart DVeterans Affairs Health Care SystemRetrospective cohort studyPart D coverageMedicare Part D prescriptionsSubstance use disordersHealth care systemDesignRetrospective cohortPrescription prevalenceQuarterly prevalenceBenzodiazepine prescribingPart D prescriptionsCohort studyPatient characteristicsBZD useUse disordersFacility variationOlder agePrescribingBZDCare system
2015
Growing Use of Mental and General Health Care Services Among Older Veterans With Mental Illness
Wiechers IR, Karel MJ, Hoff R, Karlin BE. Growing Use of Mental and General Health Care Services Among Older Veterans With Mental Illness. Psychiatric Services 2015, 66: 1242-1244. PMID: 26278225, DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.201400370.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsHealth care servicesOlder veteransElectronic medical recordsMental illnessCare servicesMedical recordsVeterans Health Administration electronic medical recordsVHA electronic medical recordsGeneral health care servicesVeterans ages 65Health service utilizationMental health needsService utilizationService useHealth needsAge 65IllnessVeteransNational dataProportion
2013
Increased Risk Among Older Veterans of Prescribing Psychotropic Medication in the Absence of Psychiatric Diagnoses
Wiechers IR, Kirwin PD, Rosenheck RA. Increased Risk Among Older Veterans of Prescribing Psychotropic Medication in the Absence of Psychiatric Diagnoses. American Journal Of Geriatric Psychiatry 2013, 22: 531-539. PMID: 24211029, DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2013.10.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychotropic medicationsPsychiatric diagnosisOlder veteransNational VHA administrative dataAge groupsOverall medical comorbidityVHA administrative dataLogistic regression analysisDiabetes medicationsMedical comorbiditiesVHA patientsEncounter claimsMedicationsMedical indicationsMental illnessMultivariate analysisMental healthcareFiscal year 2010Unnecessary useDiagnosisIncomplete documentationVeteransHIVStrongest predictorRegression analysis