Step 2: Family Conferences
The GPs were asked to conduct a total of 3 family conferences per patient at home, 1 each at the beginning of the study (after completion of baseline data collection by study nurses) and at 3 and 9 months, each lasting 30 to 45 minutes, with the involvement of family caregivers and/or the ambulatory care service. In the joint discussion, GPs were asked to (1) determine the general preferences of the patient, (2) perform a medication check, (3) address further topics from the nonpharmacologic toolbox as needed, and (4) make follow-up appointments. The medication check was to include a review of patient-acquired medication from a pharmacy and, for each medication, an assessment of whether the medication was (still) necessary, whether the risks outweigh the potential benefits, and whether the prescription was consistent with the patient's current treatment preferences.