Changing Prescribing Behavior in the United States: Moving Upstream in Opioid Prescription Education

Impact of an Electronic Health Record Pain Medication Prescribing Tool on Opioid Prescriptions for Postoperative Pain in Hand, Orthopedic, Plastic, and Spine Surgery Across a Health Care System

PURPOSE

We hypothesized that a pain management prescribing tool embedded in the electronic health record system of a multihospital health care system would decrease prescription opioids for postoperative pain by hand, orthopedic, plastic, and spine surgeons.

METHODS

A prescribing tool for postoperative pain was designed for hand, orthopedic, plastic, and spine surgeons and implemented into electronic discharge order sets in a 10-hospital health care system. Stakeholders were educated on tool use in person and/or by email on 2 occasions. A dashboard was created to monitor opioid pill quantities and morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) prescribed. Overall compliance with the suggested opioid amounts was assessed for 20 months after tool implementation. A subgroup of 6 hand surgeons, one of whom was instrumental in designing the tool, were evaluated for MMEs prescribed, opioid refills, patient emergency room visits, and patient readmissions within 30 days after discharge. Comparisons in this subgroup were made from 12 months before to 15 months after tool implementation.

RESULTS

The mean system-wide compliance with the suggested opioid pill quantities and MMEs prescribed in all 4 specialties improved by less than 5%. In the subgroup of hand surgeons, 5 of whom championed tool use, prescribed MMEs decreased by 10% during each of the 4 quarters before launching the tool and contracted an additional 26% in the first quarter after tool implementation. Opioid refills held steady at 5%, and there were no emergency room visits or readmissions within 30 days after discharge in this patient subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

The prescribing tool had a negligible impact on system-wide compliance with suggested prescription opioid pill quantities and MMEs. In a small group of surgeons who championed the use of the tool, there was a significant and sustained decline in MMEs prescribed without adversely impacting patient refills, emergency room visits, or readmissions.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

An electronic prescribing tool to assist surgeons in lowering opioid prescription pill quantities and MMEs may have a negligible impact on prescribing behavior in a multihospital health care system.

"Opioids are opioids" - A phenomenographic analyses of physicians' understanding of what makes the initial prescription of opioids become long-term opioid therapy

OBJECTIVES

To explore prescribers' understanding of what makes initial prescription of opioids become long-term opioid therapy (opioids >90 days).

METHODS

A qualitative research design, phenomenography, was used for this study. Fifteen attending physicians working within primary, secondary and tertiary care in Sweden in the fields of general practice, rehab medicine, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, or obstetrics and gynecology were purposively recruited consecutively until categorical saturation was reached. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. The transcripts were analyzed and categorized by two researchers. A third researcher checked for consistency between the data and the categories. An outcome space was constructed representing the logical relationship between the categories.

RESULTS

The analysis identified six categories: The addictive opioid, The deserving patient, The ignorant prescriber, The lost patient, The compassionate prescriber, and The exposed prescriber. The differences in conceptions among the categories were clarified through three main contributors related to opioid therapy: prescriber's characteristics, patient's characteristics, and the healthcare organization.

CONCLUSIONS

Opioids were understood as being addictive with long-term use promoting a downward spiral of tolerance and withdrawal driving the pain, leading to continued prescription. Long-term opioid therapy could be justified for patients who improved in function, and who were perceived as trustworthy. Inadequate follow-up of patients, poor training in pain management and addiction medicine, personal attitudes and beliefs about opioids, a perceived professional obligation to treat patients with pain, and lack of collegial support, were factors understood to promote clinically unindicated long-term opioid therapy.

A collaborative care intervention to improve opioid prescribing among providers caring for persons with HIV: Impact on satisfaction, confidence, and trust

BACKGROUND

HIV clinicians report low confidence and satisfaction prescribing chronic opioid therapy (COT). We hypothesized that the Targeting Effective Analgesia in Clinics for HIV (TEACH) intervention [a system-level improvement to increase guideline concordant care for COT] would improve satisfaction, confidence, and trust among PWH and their clinicians.

METHODS

We conducted a two-arm, unblinded cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) to assess the TEACH intervention. Clinicians were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the TEACH intervention (an IT-enabled nurse care manager, opioid education, academic detailing, and access to addiction specialists) or usual care. Outcomes were the following: clinician satisfaction (primary); confidence prescribing COT; patient satisfaction with COT; and trust in clinician. Intention-to-treat analyses were conducted using linear and logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Clinicians (n = 41) were randomized and their 114 patients assessed. At 12 months, the adjusted mean difference in satisfaction with COT was 1.11 points for intervention vs control clinicians (Scale 1-10; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.04 to 2.26, p = 0.06). The adjusted mean confidence with prescribing COT was 1.01 points higher among intervention clinicians (Scale 1-10; 95% CI: 0.05-1.96, p = 0.04). There were no significant differences in patient satisfaction with COT (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.17, 95% CI: 0.50-2.76, p = 0.72) or trust in provider (AOR 1.63, 95% CI: 0.65-4.09, p = 0.30).

CONCLUSIONS

TEACH did not significantly affect prescriber satisfaction, patient satisfaction with pain management or patient trust; however, it did improve prescriber confidence. TEACH is a promising strategy to improve provider prescribing of COT for PWH without adverse patient satisfaction or trust in provider.

Predictive Modelling of Susceptibility to Substance Abuse, Mortality and Drug-Drug Interactions in Opioid Patients

Objective: Opioids are a class of drugs that are known for their use as pain relievers. They bind to opioid receptors on nerve cells in the brain and the nervous system to mitigate pain. Addiction is one of the chronic and primary adverse events of prolonged usage of opioids. They may also cause psychological disorders, muscle pain, depression, anxiety attacks etc. In this study, we present a collection of predictive models to identify patients at risk of opioid abuse and mortality by using their prescription histories. Also, we discover particularly threatening drug-drug interactions in the context of opioid usage.

Methods and Materials: Using a publicly available dataset from MIMIC-III, two models were trained, Logistic Regression with L2 regularization (baseline) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (enhanced model), to classify the patients of interest into two categories based on their susceptibility to opioid abuse. We’ve also used K-Means clustering, an unsupervised algorithm, to explore drug-drug interactions that might be of concern.

Results: The baseline model for classifying patients susceptible to opioid abuse has an F1 score of 76.64% (accuracy 77.16%) while the enhanced model has an F1 score of 94.45% (accuracy 94.35%). These models can be used as a preliminary step towards inferring the causal effect of opioid usage and can help monitor the prescription practices to minimize the opioid abuse.

Discussion and Conclusion: Results suggest that the enhanced model provides a promising approach in preemptive identification of patients at risk for opioid abuse. By discovering and correlating the patterns contributing to opioid overdose or abuse among a variety of patients, machine learning models can be used as an efficient tool to help uncover the existing gaps and/or fraudulent practices in prescription writing. To quote an example of one such incidental finding, our study discovered that insulin might possibly be interacting with opioids in an unfavourable way leading to complications in diabetic patients. This indicates that diabetic patients under long term opioid usage might need to take increased amounts of insulin to make it more effective. This observation backs up prior research studies done on a similar aspect. To increase the translational value of our work, the predictive models and the associated software code are made available under the MIT License.

Efficacy of Short Message Service Text Messaging Interventions for Postoperative Pain Management: Systematic Review

Background

Addiction to opiates and synthetic opioids poses a major threat to public health worldwide, with pharmaceutical opioids prescribed to manage pain constituting the main problem. To counteract this threat, suitable pain management strategies should be implemented in health care. Monitoring pain management seems to be feasible using telemedicine with a certain degree of resource intensity and digitization. As a communication channel for this type of monitoring, SMS appears to be a valid alternative.

Objective

The aim of this systematic literature review was to (1) provide information on the state of research regarding postoperative pain management via SMS, (2) establish a basic understanding of SMS-based pain management, and (3) provide insight into the feasibility of these management strategies. The research question was as follows: Is postoperative pain management feasible and effective utilizing SMS?

Methods

A systematic literature review was performed mainly following the PRISMA guidelines and another guide on performing a systematic literature review for information systems–related research. A search string was developed based on the objectives and research question, and eight databases were searched.

Results

The initial search resulted in 2083 records, which could be narrowed down by applying various exclusion criteria. Thereby, 11 articles were identified as relevant, which were accordingly analyzed and evaluated by full-text screening. In all articles, pain management interventions were performed using SMS communication between health care professionals and patients or their legal guardians. A prospective approach was predominantly chosen as the study design (91%) with the leading research objective of determining the intervention’s feasibility (73%). The primary reason for sending SMS messages was to monitor patients (64%). Overall, the use of SMS improved adherence, acceptance, and satisfaction regarding postoperative pain management. With an average response rate of approximately 89.5% (SD 3.8%), the reliability of SMS as a communication and monitoring tool was further emphasized. This response rate is significantly higher than that for email interventions (66.63%, P<.001).

Conclusions

This study provides a comprehensive picture of the current status on postoperative pain management by SMS. Communication via SMS was beneficial in all interventions, even preoperative. Six SMS interventions could be certified by the respective institutional review board and three were Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act–compliant. Therefore, the results of this study could be leveraged to address the opioid epidemic. Overall, the research question could be confirmed. Future research should extend this systematic literature review regarding preoperative pain management. Based on these findings, a pre- and postoperative communication model should be developed to address the opioid epidemic effectively.

Opioid Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology Training Programs

OBJECTIVE

Our primary objective was to assess the current state of pain and opioid education in obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) by performing a detailed review of the national educational curricula guiding OBGYN residency and fellowship training programs in the United States.

METHODS

From 2019 to 2020 we reviewed seven documents created to guide learning and structure educational training for OBGYN residency and fellowship programs in the United States: the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology (CREOG) Educational Objectives Core Curriculum in Obstetrics and Gynecology, the 2016 Educational Objectives-Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, and the 2018 Guides to Learning in Complex Family Planning, Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery, Gynecologic Oncology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, and Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Each document was reviewed by two authors to assess for items referring to pain or opioids.

RESULTS

The CREOG educational objectives, used to inform educational curricula for residency programs, were the most comprehensive, mentioning pain and/or opioid educational objectives the highest number of times and including the most categories. The CREOG document was followed by the Guides to Learning for Gynecologic Oncology and for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery. The Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Guide to Learning did not mention pain and/or opioids in the educational objectives.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study identifies an opportunity for consistent and appropriate opioid and pain management education in OBGYN training.

Using contact-based education to destigmatize opioid use disorder among medical students

All first- and second-year (i.e., pre-clinical) medical students at a large, Midwestern medical school with three campuses were invited to participate in a two-arm, parallel educational study comparing the efficacy of two types of curricular interventions. Students at the main campus attended the modified contact-based education panel or the didactic lecture in person, while students at the two distance campuses attended the modified contact-based education or lecture remotely using the University's videoconferencing system. Impact: A total of 109 students participated in the study (average age 24.2 years (SD = 2.6), 64.2% female, 79.8% white, 56.0% second-year students, 67.9% attended on main campus, lecture = 52 participants, modified contact-based = 57 participants). Baseline responses were similar across groups. Following the session, participants in both interventions rated drug abuse (percent increase = 21.2%, p < .001) and prescription drug diversion (percent increase = 7.6%, p = .004) as more serious problems. Participants from both interventions expressed increased confidence in caring for patients with OUD (percent increase = 45.5%, p < .001) and increased interest in pursuing MAT training (percent increase = 21.5%, p = .04). Both curricular interventions were equally effective at reducing OUD stigma with a significant 8.2% decrease in total stigma scores and a large effect size (p < .001, η_p² = .34). Lastly, participants with lower post-assessment OUD stigma scores were more likely to indicate that they would pursue additional training to provide MAT (p = .02). Lessons learned: Exposure to opioid-specific education with a focus on MAT and recovery, regardless of education type, positively affected opioid-related postgraduate intentions and reduced OUD stigma. Notably, these findings suggest that there are multiple efficacious techniques to reduce OUD stigma during preclinical training.

Suspected Nonfatal Drug-Related Overdoses Among Youth in the US: 2016-2019

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

During the current drug overdose crisis, the United States is experiencing a significant number of overdose deaths, hospitalizations, and emergency department visits. Given the vulnerability of young persons to substance use, it is important to assess how this crisis affects the nation's youth. In this study, we investigate trends in suspected nonfatal drug-related overdoses (all-drugs, opioids, heroin, and stimulants) among youth using syndromic surveillance data from 2016 to 2019.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of emergency department syndromic surveillance data were used to detect quarterly trends in suspected drug overdoses from April 2016 through September 2019 among youth aged 0 to 10, 11 to 14, and 15 to 24 years. Syndrome definitions were developed using chief complaint free-text and discharge diagnosis codes to identify overdoses involving all-drugs, opioids, heroin, and stimulants. Pearson χ² tests detected quarter-to-quarter changes, and joinpoint regression analysis assessed trends over time.

RESULTS

On average, there was a 2.0% increase for youth aged 0 to 10 years and a 2.3% increase for youth aged 11 to 14 years for suspected all-drug overdoses. Suspected heroin overdoses decreased by an average of 3.3% per quarter for youth aged 15 to 24 years. Among all age groups, suspected stimulant overdoses increased across the study period, 3.3% for 0 to 10-year-olds, 4.0% for 11- to 14-year-olds, and 2.3% for 15- to 24-year-olds.

CONCLUSIONS

Suspected stimulant-involved drug overdoses appear to be rising among youth. These findings could inform targeted interventions, such as stimulant-focused prevention, and comprehensive approaches, including school-based prevention and other strategies to lower morbidity and mortality.

Clinician training level impacts prescribing practices for the conservative management of acute renal colic: a contemporary update

PURPOSE

Given the current and increasing awareness of the opioid crisis, this study aimed to characterise the types of analgesic prescription for conservatively managed renal colic.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) in 2014-2019. Patients were included if they had radiographically confirmed obstructing calculus, managed conservatively without intervention, and were given a prescription for analgesia on discharge. Patient demographics were recorded and analysed. Opioid, non-opioid, and alpha-blocker medications were compared according to patient and disease parameters, and clinician training. Oral morphine equivalents (OMEs) were used to compare prescribed quantities. Subgroup analyses of stone size and location were performed.

RESULTS

Our analysis included 1761 patients with confirmed renal colic: median age of 50 years (16-96). Altogether, 88% of included patients were prescribed opioids on discharge, while only 68% were prescribed non-opioids (p < 0.001). Oxycodone immediate release was the most frequently prescribed analgesic. Logistic regression modelling controlling for patient and disease characteristics significantly predicted more non-opioid (p < 0.001) and alpha-blocker (p = 0.037) prescription with clinician training < 3 years. Linear regression modelling demonstrated that clinicians training < 3 years predicted lower OMEs per prescription compared to clinicians with ≥ 3 years of training (p = 0.001). Subgroup analyses supported similar predictions with training.

CONCLUSIONS

Prescribing patterns are associated with different clinician experience levels. However, a substantial amount of opioids are still given overall on patient discharge regardless of the clinician experience. Educational interventions aimed at reducing the opioid prescription rate and quantities may be considered for clinicians of all training levels.

Neuromodulation With Burst and Tonic Stimulation Decreases Opioid Consumption: A Post Hoc Analysis of the Success Using Neuromodulation With BURST (SUNBURST) Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

The SUNBURST study was a prospective, multicenter, randomized crossover trial of a single device delivering burst and tonic spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic trunk and/or limb pain. We performed a post hoc analysis of opioid consumption at baseline and after device implantation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

After implantation, 100 patients were randomized to one mode (tonic or burst) for 12 weeks, and the other mode for the subsequent 12 weeks. After the crossover period (24 weeks), patients chose their preferred mode and were assessed for one year. We analyzed 69 patients who took opioid medication at baseline. The primary endpoint was opioid consumption in morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) at baseline and 12 months postimplantation. Subgroup analysis included opioid consumption based on Center for Disease Control markers (<50, 50-90, 90-120, >120 MME/day) and stimulation mode preference.

RESULTS

Opioid consumption at 12 months was lower compared to baseline (53.94 vs. 79.19 MME, MD -25.25, 95% CI -43.77 to 6.73, p = 0.008). By 12 months, 11 of 69 patients (15.9%) discontinued all opioid (p = 0.001). Based on CDC dose markers, the proportion of patients taking >120 MME/day decreased by 61.7% at 12 months postintervention compared to baseline (p = 0.043). Forty-five of 69 patients (65.2%) preferred burst SCS while 15 of 69 patients (21.7%) preferred tonic SCS (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

A device delivering tonic and burst SCS was associated with decreased opioid consumption after 12 months in patients with chronic trunk and/or limb pain. The proportion of patients reporting the highest opioid intake (>120 MME/day) decreased to a lower CDC dose category by 61.7%, carrying important implications for those at highest risk for opioid-related substance use disorder, overdose, and death.

Influence of Future Prescribers' Personal and Clinical Experiences With Opioids on Plans to Treat Patients With Opioid Use Disorder

CONTEXT

Recreational use of opioids is a growing problem in the United States, particularly in the Midwest. Educators have called for inclusion of pain- and opioid-specific courses in health professional school curricula, yet more research is needed to address future prescribers' beliefs, experiences, and postgraduate plans related to opioids.

OBJECTIVE

To examine health professional students' perceived severity of the opioid crisis and opioid-related beliefs, experiences, and postgraduate plans.

METHODS

Using a descriptive, cross-sectional design, researchers evaluated health professional students from 3 academic programs (nurse practitioner [NP], physician assistant [PA], and doctor of osteopathic medicine [DO]) using a 25-item survey that assessed perceived opioid crisis severity and opioid-related beliefs, experiences, and postgraduate plans. Demographics of respondents were assessed using descriptive statistics and frequencies. Responses were compared between academic programs with 1-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis tests, and relationships between students' experiences and postgraduate plans were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 491 students (mean [SD] age, 27.2 [5.4] years; 62.7% female; 68.2% DO students) participated in the survey (response rate, 40.4%). The opioid crisis was perceived to be severely impacting the health care system (mean [SD] score, 79.7 [16.8] out of 100), and most respondents (415 [84.5%]) reported that opioid use affected their communities. Clinical experience varied by program, with NP students (75 [81.5%]) reporting the most experience treating acute overdose. Most respondents (317 [64.6%]) agreed that their postgraduate practice would involve caring for patients addicted to opioids; however, only 232 students (47.3%) felt confident in their ability to treat patients with addiction. Experiences managing acute overdose and handling drug-seeking behavior were positively associated with a belief that postgraduate work would involve working with patients with addiction (U=38,275.5, Z=5.92, P<.001; U=25,346.0, Z=4.94, P<.001) and confidence in treating patients with opioid addictions (U=36,806.5, Z=4.96, P<.001; U=23,765.5, Z=3.66, P<.001).

CONCLUSION

Although health professional students had similar beliefs and perceptions regarding the opioid crisis, there were notable differences between academic programs. Students with clinical opioid experiences were more likely to plan on working with patients addicted to opioids and be confident in treating these patients. Thus, the inclusion of experiential learning in the medical curricula may be beneficial for both students and their future patients.

Opioids: The Painful Public Health Reality

The analgesic, sedative, antidepressant, euphoriant, intoxicating, and addictive properties of opium and its synthetic derivatives are well known and have been known for centuries. Hence, the current major public health problems due to excessive availability should be no surprise. What is unprecedented in the United States, and emerging elsewhere, is the extent of the profound consequences and complexity of addressing this public health crisis.

Current perspectives on the opioid crisis in the US healthcare system: A comprehensive literature review

INTRODUCTION

The administration of opioids has been used for centuries as a viable option for pain management. When administered at appropriate doses, opioids prove effective not only at eliminating pain but further preventing its recurrence in long-term recovery scenarios. Physicians have complied with the appropriate management of acute and chronic pain; however, this short or long-term opioid exposure provides opportunities for long-term opioid misuse and abuse, leading to addiction of patients who receive an opioid prescription and/or diversion of this pain medication to other people without prescription. Several reviews attempted to summarize the epidemiology and management of opioid misuse, this integrative review seeks to summarize the current literature related with responsible parties of this opioid abuse crisis and discuss potential associations between demographics (ethnicity, culture, gender, religion) and opioid accessibility, abuse and overdose.

METHODS

We performed an extensive literature search in Google Scholar and Pub Med databases that were published between December 7, 1999 and January 9, 2018 in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Searches were referenced using medical subject headings (MeSH) that included "opioids", "over-prescription", "opioid consumption", or "opioid epidemic". The final review of all data bases was conducted on July 24, 2018.

RESULTS

A total of 7160 articles were originally identified. After 3340 duplicate articles were removed, 3820 manuscripts were removed after title and abstract screening. Following this, 120 manuscripts underwent eligibility selection with only 70 publications being selected as reliable full-texts addressing related factors surrounding the opioid crisis.

CONCLUSION

With approximately 100 million people suffering from both chronic and acute pain in the United States (US) in 2016, opiates will continue to remain a prominent class of medication in healthcare facilities and homes across the US. Over 66% of total overdose episodes in 2016 were opioid-related, a figure that attests to the severity and wide-spread nature of this issue. A three-point approach accentuating the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of both those currently affected and at-risk in the future may be the comprehensive solution.

Contemporary analysis of otolaryngic allergy

OBJECTIVES

Investigate the current trends in otolaryngic allergy (OA).

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

Survey of active AAOA membership.

RESULTS

Response rate was 27.3%. Regional response distribution rates were proportional to the AAOA membership distribution within the United States (R2 = 0.95; P < 0.001), with no significant regional response bias demonstrated (P = 0.428). Self-reported duration to OA competency was 5.8 years. Physicians reporting OA competency were more likely to be board-certified (P < 0.001) and have AAOA fellowship status (P < 0.001). The AAOA was reported to be the most valuable educational resource toward achieving OA competency, with residency training being least valuable (P < 0.001). 91.5% of respondents' practices offered OA services. Subcutaneous injections predominated at twice the utilization of sublingual immunotherapy. Allergy immunotherapy tablets were rarely utilized. Home allergy shots were offered by 45.2% of respondents. In-office immunotherapy vial compounding was preferred (95.8%) to third-party vendors. 94% of AAOA respondents identified patient compliance to be an issue within OA. Non-inhalant allergy service integration included food allergy (63.5%), asthma (44.9%), allergic fungal sinusitis (43.8%), penicillin allergy (18%), stinging insect allergy (12.6%), and aspirin desensitization (3.9%).

CONCLUSION

Reported duration to OA competency after residency was surprisingly long. Further investigation of current and future educational/clinical training is warranted given clinical integration reported for OA. Otolaryngology is in the unique position to develop a comprehensive sino-allergy evidence-based strategy integrating the extensive diagnostic and medical treatment arms alongside the surgical expertise of the specialty within a clinical sino-allergy home concept.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

5 Laryngoscope, 130:283-289, 2020.