The Project

About STOPMed-HD

STOPMed-HD is a multi-phase deprescribing research program spearheaded by Dr. Marisa Battistella (UHN, Toronto). Supported by a network of nephrology clinicians, health service and implementation experts, the program has made a number of developments since 2016.

Our ultimate goal is to create a safe, effective, and low-barrier deprescribing program that can be easily implemented and adopted in hemodialysis clinics in Canada and around the world to minimize and reduce the effects of polypharmacy.

Project Timeline

For screen readers: A project timeline is shown. Started in 2016, Phase 1 consisted of evidence building. This included a prescription pattern analysis of patients on HD in Ontario and British Columbia, and a pilot deprescribing trial in Toronto. In 2018, Phase 2 began by surveying Canadian clinicians on target medications, then the initial set of treatment algorithms and patient information tools were created around the nine target medications. In 2019, Phase 3 began with the validation of our algorithms and patient information tools. We are currently moving into Phase 4 as of 2021. Our goal is to implement these tools in 4 Canadian cities, then analyze the usage, effectiveness, and safety of our tools. Beyond Phase 4, we would like to promote our deprescribing program to Provincial Health Agencies and further refine the viability and effectiveness of our program.

Support and Funding

Can-SOLVE CKD is one of 5 chronic disease networks funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research via the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research. Funding is also provided by 30+ partners, including provincial kidney care agencies, universities, industry, and private donors. Can-SOLVE CKD has funded 18 patient-centered research projects (including ours) spanning basic science, clinical and population health research.

The purpose of the Allied Health Kidney Research Grant is to encourage allied health professionals to pursue research relevant to the areas of nephrology and organ donation, including clinical, health services, social, cultural, environmental and population health research.

The Project Grant program is designed to capture ideas with the greatest potential to advance health-related fundamental or applied knowledge, health research, health care, health systems, and/or health outcomes. It supports projects with a specific purpose and a defined endpoint. The best ideas may stem from new, incremental, innovative, and/or high-risk lines of inquiry or knowledge translation approaches.

Toronto General Hospital,
Toronto, ON

Seven Oaks General Hospital, Winnipeg, MB

Renal Program,
Halifax, NS

St. Paul's Hospital,
Vancouver, BC

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