Electronic Interventions Could Reduce Reliance on Benzodiazepines
Key Takeaways
- Self-managed intervention has been shown to reduce the use of benzodiazepines among patients. Rates of benzodiazepine cessation were higher among patients who received electronic intervention than those who did not.
- Patients in the intervention group had a higher likelihood of dose reductions of 25% or more, although this finding is not statistically significant.
- The study’s results highlight the potential of electronic interventions at reducing reliance on benzodiazepines and supporting self-management of care.
Long-term use of benzodiazepines can lead to cognitive decline, increased risk of falls and car accidents, dependence, and overdose. With benzodiazepines being prescribed to more than 30 million people in the US, accessible interventions aimed at reducing drug use are critical.
A previous trial, Eliminating Medications Through Patient Ownership of End Results (EMPOWER), found that self-managed intervention increased rates of benzodiazepine cessation among patients.
Researchers sought to replicate the EMPOWER trial using an electronic platform, called EMPOWER electronically delivered (EMPOWER-ED). The intervention was targeted toward US military veterans since long-term use of benzodiazepines is prevalent within this population.
The randomized study included 161 US veterans and examined rates of complete benzodiazepine cessation and 25% dose reduction after 6 months. Additionally, the trial assessed anxiety, sleep quality, and overall health and quality of life.
Impact of Electronic Self-Managed Intervention
Patients who received EMPOWER-ED intervention had significantly higher rates of benzodiazepine cessation (10 out of 82, 12.2%) than those without intervention (2 out of 79, 2.5%). The EMPOWER-ED group had a 5.31 greater likelihood of benzodiazepine cessation after 6 months than the control group.
Dose reductions of 25% or more were more prevalent in the EMPOWER-ED group, where the chances of reduction were 2.51 times higher than in the control group. However, this finding is not statistically significant.
Electronic interventions also had no significant impact on the trial’s secondary outcomes. No notable difference was observed in anxiety symptoms or sleep quality between the two groups.
The study had a follow-up rate of 97.5%, indicating the potential benefit of self-managed intervention in reducing the use of benzodiazepines.
Integrating Self-Managed Interventions
The study found a large clinical effect of self-administered interventions in reducing the use of benzodiazepines. By effectively replicating the EMPOWER trial within an electronic format, researchers proved the possibility of establishing low-cost, accessible interventions for patients using benzodiazepines.
The researchers said, “Rolling out some version of EMPOWER is thus an attractive option for health care systems and public health departments more generally.”
Reference
Humphreys K, Hagedorn H, Han X, Kemp L, Poitra N, Cucciare MA. Electronic intervention for patient-managed benzodiazepine tapering: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(1):e2551807. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.51807
