Summary
There are multiple medical indications for the chronic use of aspirin due to its antiplatelet effect. Draeger et al (2022) highlight that, "there are a significant number of patients taking aspirin when it is not appropriate or at a dose higher than recommended." Further, inappropriate aspirin use can increase the risk of serious adverse events. The authors discuss the implementation of quality improvement programs designed to reduce the rate of inappropriate aspirin use (deprescribing) that may lead to improved prescribing practices and may demonstrate improvements in patient mortality. Patient-specific recommendations for changes in or discontinuation of aspirin is key to improved outcomes. Draeger et al (2022) published a guideline summary flowchart (p. 222) that walks a clinician through a set of evidence-based decisions to determine the appropriate use of daily aspirin. When the question is asked if a patient ought to be deprescribed aspirin, this app replicates the guideline flowchart for quick access to aspirin best practices and provides a source of documentation. To understand how the guideline summary flowchart was converted into this app, refer to the app logic flowchart for decision logic.