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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 31 Research Studies DisplayedBongiovanni T, Pletcher MJ, Lau C
A behavioral intervention to promote use of multimodal pain medication for hospitalized patients: a randomized controlled trial.
Administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has become a foundational strategy to decrease the use of opioids, but data is lacking to describe recommending utilization when admitting patients using electronic health record systems. The purpose of this study was to assess an electronic health record system to increase ordering of NSAIDs for hospitalized adults. The researchers conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial of clinicians admitting adult patients to a health system over a period of 9-months. Clinicians in the intervention arm were required to actively order or decline NSAIDs; the control arm was provided the same order but without a required response. A total of 20,085 hospitalizations were included. The study found that among the hospitalizations, 52% were admitted by a clinician randomized to the intervention arm. NSAIDs were ordered in 22% of the interventions and 22% of the control admissions. There were no statistically significant differences in NSAID administration, pain scores, or opioid prescribing. There were no differences in clinical harms, with average pain scores of 3.36 in the control group and 3.39 in the intervention group, on a scale of 0-5.
AHRQ-funded; HS026383.
Citation: Bongiovanni T, Pletcher MJ, Lau C .
A behavioral intervention to promote use of multimodal pain medication for hospitalized patients: a randomized controlled trial.
J Hosp Med 2023 Aug; 18(8):685-92. doi: 10.1002/jhm.13153..
Keywords: Pain, Opioids, Medication, Behavioral Health, Practice Patterns
Parikh MA, Fabiyi C, Mistry KB
AHRQ Author: Fabiyi C, Mistry KB
Factors associated with postprocedure opioid prescribing and persistent opioid use among opioid-naive patients: A nationally representative sample.
This study’s objective was to examine factors associated with postprocedure opioid receipt and persistent opioid use among opioid-naive patients in a nationally representative sample. The authors used panels 18-20 in MEPS between the years 2013 and 2015. They found that younger age, Western location, and a high-school degree were associated with higher odds of postprocedure opioid receipt. Patients who had procedures in an inpatient, outpatient, and dental setting; or musculoskeletal diagnoses and injuries were more likely to have postprocedure opioid receipt. Persistent opioid use was associated with Midwest and Northeast location, musculoskeletal diagnosis, public insurance, and positive depression screening.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Parikh MA, Fabiyi C, Mistry KB .
Factors associated with postprocedure opioid prescribing and persistent opioid use among opioid-naive patients: A nationally representative sample.
Ann Surg 2022 Dec 1;276(6):e706-e13. doi: 10.1097/sla.0000000000004630..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Pain
Carlile N, Fuller TE, Benneyan JC
Lessons learned in implementing a chronic opioid therapy management system.
This article describes a research collaborative of health service researchers, systems engineers, and clinicians that sought to improve processes for safer chronic opioid therapy management in an academic primary care center. The authors present implementation results and lessons learned along with an intervention toolkit that others may consider using within their organization. They designed, tested, and implemented two key safe opioid use process metrics-percent for patients with recent opioid treatment agreements and urine drug tests. Focus groups were conducted after the conclusion of the implementation. They found a general lack of knowledge regarding resources available to patients and prescribers in the primary care clinic. In addition, 69% of clinicians reported largely “inheriting” (rather than initiating) their chronic opioid therapy patients. They also tracked 68 patients over a 4-year period and found although process measures improved, full adherence was not achieved for the entire population. Barriers identified included team structure, the evolving opioid environment, and surveillance challenges, along with disruptions resulting from the 2019 novel coronavirus.
AHRQ-funded; HS024453.
Citation: Carlile N, Fuller TE, Benneyan JC .
Lessons learned in implementing a chronic opioid therapy management system.
J Patient Saf 2022 Dec 1;18(8):e1142-e49. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000001039..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Practice Patterns
Bongiovanni T, Gan S, Finlayson E
Prolonged use of newly prescribed gabapentin after surgery.
This study investigated postoperative prolonged gabapentin use in adults 65 years and older. The authors merged a 20% sample of Medicare Carrier, MedPAR, and Outpatient Files with Part D for 2013-2018. They defined new postoperative gabapentin as fills for 7 days before surgery until 7 days after discharge. Overall, 3% of all eligible patients (n = 17,970) had a new prescription for gabapentin postsurgery. Out of those, the mean age was 73 years old and 62% were female. The most common surgeries that gabapentin was prescribed for was total knee (45%) and total hip (21%) replacements. Prolonged use occurred in 22% of patients, with women, non-White, those with concurrent prolonged opioid use, and patients having undergone emergency surgery more likely to have prolonged use.
Citation: Bongiovanni T, Gan S, Finlayson E .
Prolonged use of newly prescribed gabapentin after surgery.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2022 Dec;70(12):3560-69. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18005..
Keywords: Medication, Surgery, Pain, Elderly, Practice Patterns
Khouja T, Zhou J, Gellad WF
Serious opioid-related adverse outcomes associated with opioids prescribed by dentists.
This study’s objective was to evaluate adverse outcomes and persistent opioid use (POU) after opioid prescriptions by dentists, based on whether opioids were overprescribed or within recommendations. A cross-sectional analysis of adults with dental visit and corresponding opioid prescription from 2011 to 2017 within a nationwide commercial claims database was conducted. As per CDC guidelines, opioid overprescribing was defined as >120 morphine milligram equivalents. Of 633,387 visits, 16.6% had POU and 2.6% experienced an adverse outcome. POU was higher when opioids were overprescribed with visits associated with mild pain and those with substance use disorders having the highest risk of both outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Khouja T, Zhou J, Gellad WF .
Serious opioid-related adverse outcomes associated with opioids prescribed by dentists.
Pain 2022 Aug 1;163(8):1571-80. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002545..
Keywords: Opioids, Dental and Oral Health, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Health, Practice Patterns, Pain, Medication, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events
Encinosa W, Bernard D, Selden TM
AHRQ Author: Encinosa W, Bernard D, Selden TM
Opioid and non-opioid analgesic prescribing before and after the CDC's 2016 opioid guideline.
This study examined opioid and non-opioid prescribing before and after the issuing of CDC’s 2016 opioid guideline. The authors developed a theory of physician prescribing behavior under the CDC’s two-pronged incentive structure. They used MEPS survey data to empirically corroborate the theory that the regulations and guidelines have the intended effects of reducing opioid prescriptions for acute and chronic pain, as well as the predicted unintended effects-income effects cause regulations on acute pain treatment to increase chronic pain opioid prescriptions and the chronic pain treatment guidelines spillover to reduce opioids for acute pain. They also found that the guidelines work as intended in terms of the reduced usage, with chronic pain patients shifting to non-opioids and tapering off opioid doses.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Encinosa W, Bernard D, Selden TM .
Opioid and non-opioid analgesic prescribing before and after the CDC's 2016 opioid guideline.
Int J Health Econ Manag 2022 Mar;22(1):1-52. doi: 10.1007/s10754-021-09307-4..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Opioids, Practice Patterns, Medication, Pain, Chronic Conditions
Joseph JM, Gori D, Curtin C
Gaps in standardized postoperative pain management quality measures: a systematic review.
Poor pain control in patients can lead to chronic pain, chronic opiate use or addiction, and patient suffering, making postoperative pain an important clinical issue. The researchers state that it is unclear whether measures for managing pain after surgery exist, warranting the study goal of assessment of the availability of postoperative pain management quality measures, including National Quality Forum-endorsed measures. In November 2019, the researchers conducted a systematic literature review using the National Quality Forum Quality Positioning System, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Indicators, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Measures Inventory Tool databases, to identify quality measures for the period between March 11, 2015, and March 11, 2020. The review identified 19 pain management quality measures, 5 of which were endorsed by the National Quality Forum. Three of the non-endorsed measures were specific to postoperative pain, with none of the endorsed measures specific to post-operative pain. The study concluded that there is a need for published, endorsed, rigorous postoperative pain quality measures.
AHRQ-funded; HS024096; HS027434.
Citation: Joseph JM, Gori D, Curtin C .
Gaps in standardized postoperative pain management quality measures: a systematic review.
Surgery 2022 Feb;171(2):453-58. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2021.08.004..
Keywords: Pain, Surgery, Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Practice Patterns
Agbalajobi OM, Gmelin T, Moon AM
Characteristics of opioid prescribing to outpatients with chronic liver diseases: a call for action.
This retrospective cohort study investigated opioid prescribing patterns among patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) at a single medical center. These patients (12,425) were followed for one year from October 2015 to September 2016. Nearly half (47%) were prescribed opioids over a one-year period, with 17% receiving high-risk prescriptions. Characteristics associated with high-risk opioid prescriptions included female gender, Medicaid insurance, cirrhosis and baseline chronic pain, depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and Charlson comorbidity score. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was associated with decreased high-risk opioid prescriptions.
AHRQ-funded; HS019461.
Citation: Agbalajobi OM, Gmelin T, Moon AM .
Characteristics of opioid prescribing to outpatients with chronic liver diseases: a call for action.
PLoS One 2021 Dec 17;16(12):e0261377. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261377..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Pain, Chronic Conditions
Cerda M, Wheeler-Martin K, Bruzelius E
Spatiotemporal analysis of the association between pain management clinic laws and opioid prescribing and overdose deaths.
The authors investigated the impact of pain management clinic laws. They analyzed data on county-level, opioid overdose deaths via the National Vital Statistics System and patients filling long-duration or high-dose opioid prescriptions in the US 2010-2018. Their findings suggested that laws with criminal penalties were associated with intended reductions in high-risk opioid prescribing and some opioid overdoses but raised concerns regarding unintended consequences on heroin/synthetic overdoses.
AHRQ-funded; HS023258.
Citation: Cerda M, Wheeler-Martin K, Bruzelius E .
Spatiotemporal analysis of the association between pain management clinic laws and opioid prescribing and overdose deaths.
Am J Epidemiol 2021 Dec;190(12):2592-603. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwab192..
Keywords: Opioids, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Medication, Practice Patterns, Policy
Enzinger AC, Ghosh K, Keating NL
US trends in opioid access among patients with poor prognosis cancer near the end-of-life.
This study looked at trends in opioid prescriptions for cancer patients near the end-of-life (EOL) defined as the 30 days before death or hospice enrollment. The authors looked at Medicare part D data from 2007 to 2017 for 270,632 Medicare fee-for-service decedents with poor prognosis cancers. During that time, the proportion of decedents with poor prognosis cancers receiving 1 or greater opioid prescriptions near EOL declined 15.5% and the proportion receiving 1 or greater long-acting opioid prescriptions declined 36.5% to 18.1%. The mean daily dose fell from 24.5%, from 85.6 morphine milligram equivalents per day (MMED) to 64.6. The total amount of opioids prescribed fell from 1,075 morphine milligram equivalents per decedent to 666 morphine milligram equivalents per decedents. At the same time, the proportion of patients with pain-related ED visits increase 50.8% from 13.2% to 19.9%.
AHRQ-funded; HS024072.
Citation: Enzinger AC, Ghosh K, Keating NL .
US trends in opioid access among patients with poor prognosis cancer near the end-of-life.
J Clin Oncol 2021 Sep 10;39(26):2948-58. doi: 10.1200/jco.21.00476..
Keywords: Cancer, Opioids, Palliative Care, Pain, Access to Care, Medication, Practice Patterns
Pritchard KT, Baillargeon J, Raji Ma
Association of occupational and physical therapy with duration of prescription opioid use after hip or knee arthroplasty: a retrospective cohort study of Medicare enrollees.
The purpose of this study was to establish whether non-pharmacological interventions, such as occupational and physical therapy, were associated with a shorter duration of prescription opioid use after hip or knee arthroplasty. The investigators concluded that occupational and physical therapy with home health were associated with a shorter duration of prescription opioid use after hip and knee arthroplasty.
AHRQ-funded; HS026133.
Citation: Pritchard KT, Baillargeon J, Raji Ma .
Association of occupational and physical therapy with duration of prescription opioid use after hip or knee arthroplasty: a retrospective cohort study of Medicare enrollees.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2021 Jul;102(7):1257-66. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2021.01.086..
Keywords: Orthopedics, Surgery, Opioids, Pain, Practice Patterns
McCarthy DM, Kim HS, Hur SI
Patient-reported opioid pill consumption after an ed visit: how many pills are people using?
This study examined opioid use patterns after an emergency department (ED) visit. The study was conducted at an urban academic emergency department and included patients 18 years or older, not chemically using opioids, and had been newly prescribed hydrocodone-acetaminophen. They were asked to complete and return a 10-day medication diary. Two-hundred sixty patients returned completed medication diaries that included treatment for different conditions. The mean age was 45 years and 59% of the sample was female. The median number of pills prescribed was 12. Patients with renal colic used the least number of pills and patients with back pain used the most. Almost all (92.5%) of patients had leftover pills by the end of the 10 days.
AHRQ-funded; HS023459.
Citation: McCarthy DM, Kim HS, Hur SI .
Patient-reported opioid pill consumption after an ed visit: how many pills are people using?
Pain Med 2021 Feb 23;22(2):292-302. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa048..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Emergency Department, Practice Patterns, Pain
Eyrich NW, Sloss KR, Howard RA
Opioid prescribing exceeds consumption following common surgical oncology procedures.
Researchers aimed to compare opioid prescribing to opioid consumption for common surgical oncology procedures. They found that the median quantity of opioid prescribed was significantly larger than consumed following breast biopsy, lumpectomy, and mastectomy or wide local excision. The majority of patients reported receiving education on taking opioids, but only 27% received instructions on proper disposal; 82% of prescriptions filled resulted in unused opioids, and only 11% of these patients safely disposed of them. They concluded that their study demonstrated that opioid prescribing exceeds consumption following common surgical oncology procedures, thus indicating the potential for reductions in prescribing.
AHRQ-funded; HS023313.
Citation: Eyrich NW, Sloss KR, Howard RA .
Opioid prescribing exceeds consumption following common surgical oncology procedures.
J Surg Oncol 2021 Jan;123(1):352-56. doi: 10.1002/jso.26272..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Surgery, Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Practice Patterns, Pain
Navis A, George MC, Nmashie A
Validation of the Safer Opioid Prescribing Evaluation Tool (SOPET) for assessing adherence to the Centers for Disease Control opioid prescribing guidelines.
This study assessed the use of the Safer Opioid Prescribing Evaluation Tool (SOPET) which was designed to improve the implementation of the 2016 Centers for Disease Control Guidelines on the prescription of opioids for chronic pain. Four raters with varying levels of clinical experience were trained to use the SOPET and then used it to evaluate 21 baseline patient scenarios. Inter-rater reliability was measured using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) estimates and their 95% confidence intervals for the total SOPET score based on a mean-rating absolute-agreement, two-way random-effects model. Inter-rater reliability was found to be good for the three physician raters (0.92, 0.97, and 0.99). However, inter-rater reliability for the non-physician rater was lower (0.67).
AHRQ-funded; HS025641.
Citation: Navis A, George MC, Nmashie A .
Validation of the Safer Opioid Prescribing Evaluation Tool (SOPET) for assessing adherence to the Centers for Disease Control opioid prescribing guidelines.
Pain Med 2020 Dec 25;21(12):3655-59. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa138..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Guidelines, Practice Patterns, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Evidence-Based Practice
Romman AN, Hsu CM, Chou LN
Opioid prescribing to Medicare Part D enrollees, 2013-2017: shifting responsibility to pain management providers.
This study looked at trends in opioid prescribing frequency to Medicare Part D enrollees from 2013 to 2017 by medical specialty and provider type. The authors analyzed opioid claims and prescribing trends for specialties accounting for ≥1% of all opioid claims. Pain management specialists increased Medicare Part D opioid claims by 27.3% to 1,140 mean claims per provider in 2017. Physical medicine and rehabilitation providers increased claims by 16.9% to 511 mean claims per provider in 2017. All other medical specialties decreased opioid claims during this period, with emergency medicine decreasing the most (-19.9%) and orthopedic surgery (-16%) dropping opioid claims the most of all the other specialties. Overall physician decrease was -5.2%. However opioid claims among dentists (+5.6%) and nonphysician providers (+10.2%) increased during this period.
AHRQ-funded; HS020642.
Citation: Romman AN, Hsu CM, Chou LN .
Opioid prescribing to Medicare Part D enrollees, 2013-2017: shifting responsibility to pain management providers.
Pain Med 2020 Nov 7;21(7):1400-07. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnz344..
Keywords: Elderly, Opioids, Medication, Medicare, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Practice Patterns
Newberry CI, Casazza GC, Pruitt LC
Prescription patterns and opioid usage in sinonasal surgery.
The goal of this study was to identify factors associated with variable opioid usage and to delineate optimal prescription patterns for sinonasal surgery. The researchers found that patients used 9.3% of their full prescription and only 2.6% required a refill. The amount used was not associated with complexity of endoscopic sinus surgery, type of opiate prescribed, gender, distance living from hospital, or current opioid usage before surgery. They concluded that opioids are overprescribed after sinonasal surgery and that the amount of postoperative opiate prescribed should be greatly reduced and may be based on the specific procedures performed.
AHRQ-funded; HS024638.
Citation: Newberry CI, Casazza GC, Pruitt LC .
Prescription patterns and opioid usage in sinonasal surgery.
Int Forum Allergy Rhinol 2020 Mar;10(3):381-87. doi: 10.1002/alr.22478..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Pain, Surgery, Respiratory Conditions, Healthcare Utilization, Practice Patterns, Substance Abuse
De Roo AC, Vu JV, Regenbogen SE
Statewide utilization of multimodal analgesia and length of stay after colectomy.
This study examined statewide utilization of multimodal analgesia after colectomy. Multimodal analgesia shortens length of stay and hastens recovery. The researchers conducted a statewide, 72-hospital collaborative quality initiative and evaluated postoperative analgesia regimens among adult elective colectomy patients between 2012 and 2015. One-third of patients received opioids alone, and 2.8% received one nonopioid pain medication alone. The researchers suggest that these numbers must be improved particularly with the current opioid crisis.
AHRQ-funded; HS000053.
Citation: De Roo AC, Vu JV, Regenbogen SE .
Statewide utilization of multimodal analgesia and length of stay after colectomy.
J Surg Res 2020 Mar;247:264-70. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2019.10.014..
Keywords: Surgery, Opioids, Medication, Medication: Safety, Practice Patterns, Pain
Heins SE, Castillo RC
The impact of morphine equivalent daily dose threshold guidelines on prescribed dose in a workers' compensation population.
This study evaluated the impact of dissemination Morphine Equivalent Daily Dose (MEDD) guidelines to state workers’ compensation boards to discourage high-dose opioid use among injured workers receiving workers’ compensation. The study used workers compensations claims data from 2010-2013 from 2 guideline states and 3 control states. The policy implementation showed a 9.26 mg decrease in MEDD after adjusting for covariates, state fixed-effects, and time trends. The decreases became more pronounced over the study period.
AHRQ-funded; HS025557.
Citation: Heins SE, Castillo RC .
The impact of morphine equivalent daily dose threshold guidelines on prescribed dose in a workers' compensation population.
Med Care 2020 Mar;58(3):241-47. doi: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001269..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Practice Patterns, Guidelines
Klueh MP, Sloss KR, Dossett LA
Postoperative opioid prescribing is not my job: a qualitative analysis of care transitions.
This qualitative study aimed to describe transitions of care for postoperative opioid prescribing and to identify barriers and facilitators of ideal transitions for potential intervention targets. Results identified potential interventions aimed at changing physician behaviors regarding transitions of care for postoperative opioid prescribing. Implementation of these interventions could improve coordination of care for patients with persistent postoperative opioid use.
AHRQ-funded; HS026030.
Citation: Klueh MP, Sloss KR, Dossett LA .
Postoperative opioid prescribing is not my job: a qualitative analysis of care transitions.
Surgery 2019 Nov;166(5):744-51. doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2019.05.033..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Pain, Transitions of Care, Practice Patterns
Dy CJ, Peacock K, Olsen MA
Frequency and risk factors for prolonged opioid prescriptions after surgery for brachial plexus injury.
This study examined risk of prolonged opioid prescription use after surgery for brachial plexus injury (BPI). A cohort of BPI surgery patients was compared to a control group of non-BPI patients, matching for age, sex, and year. Pharmacy claims for prescriptions filled for opioids and neuropathic pain methods were examined 1 year before surgery to 180 days after surgery. The primary outcome studied was prolonged opioid prescription, which is defined as receiving a prescription 90 to 180 days after the surgery or randomly selected date of service for controls. Among BPI patients, a subgroup analysis was also performed on opioid-naïve patients between 30 days to 1 year before surgery. Among BPI surgery patients, 27.7% had prolonged opioid prescriptions, but only 10.8% of opioid-naïve patients had prolonged opioid prescriptions. The rate for controls was 0.11%. The rates of prolonged opioid prescriptions for BPI patients was higher than previous estimates among other surgical patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Dy CJ, Peacock K, Olsen MA .
Frequency and risk factors for prolonged opioid prescriptions after surgery for brachial plexus injury.
J Hand Surg Am 2019 Aug;44(8):662-68.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2019.04.001..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Surgery, Pain, Practice Patterns, Risk, Chronic Conditions
Jeffery MM, Hooten WM, Jena AB
Rates of physician coprescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines after the release of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in 2016.
Researchers sought to determine whether the release of the CDC guidelines was associated with changes in co-prescription of opioids and benzodiazepines. Their study showed a reduction in the extent, but not the intensity, of co-prescribing of benzodiazepines for patients with long-term opioid use.
AHRQ-funded; HS025164.
Citation: Jeffery MM, Hooten WM, Jena AB .
Rates of physician coprescribing of opioids and benzodiazepines after the release of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in 2016.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 Aug 2;2(8):e198325. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.8325..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Pain, Evidence-Based Practice, Guidelines
Kim HS, Kaplan SH, McCarthy DM
A comparison of analgesic prescribing among ED back and neck pain visits receiving physical therapy versus usual care.
Researchers used a retrospective cohort study to examine whether physical therapy (PT) is associated with lower analgesic prescribing in the emergency department (ED) setting. They found that, in this single center study, ED back and neck pain visits receiving PT were no less likely to receive an opioid prescription and were more likely to receive a benzodiazepine than visits receiving usual care. They conclude that, although prior studies demonstrated that PT may reduce opioid utilization in the subsequent year, these results indicated that analgesic prescribing is not reduced at the initial ED encounter.
AHRQ-funded; HS023011.
Citation: Kim HS, Kaplan SH, McCarthy DM .
A comparison of analgesic prescribing among ED back and neck pain visits receiving physical therapy versus usual care.
Am J Emerg Med 2019 Jul;37(7):1322-26. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.10.009..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Emergency Department, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Pain, Back Health and Pain, Outcomes, Evidence-Based Practice
Parchman ML, Penfold RB, Ike B
Team-based clinic redesign of opioid medication management in primary care: effect on opioid prescribing.
This study examined the effect of using an opioid medication management program called Six Building Blocks in primary care practices to help reduce the rate of opioid prescriptions. Six rural-serving organizations with 20 clinic locations received support for 15 months to help them implement the Six Building Blocks. This case-control study compared monthly trends in patients undergoing long-term opioid therapy (LtOT) for patients enrolled in the intervention clinics with those enrolled in a regional health plan who did not receive care at the study sites but resided in the same areas. There was a significant rate of decrease of patients on LtOT at intervention clinics compared with the control group.
AHRQ-funded; HS023750.
Citation: Parchman ML, Penfold RB, Ike B .
Team-based clinic redesign of opioid medication management in primary care: effect on opioid prescribing.
Ann Fam Med 2019 Jul;17(4):319-25. doi: 10.1370/afm.2390..
Keywords: Opioids, Primary Care: Models of Care, Primary Care, Teams, Medication, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Practice Patterns, Patient-Centered Healthcare
Vijay A, Rhee TG, Ross JS
U.S. prescribing trends of fentanyl, opioids, and other pain medications in outpatient and emergency department visits from 2006 to 2015.
This retrospective study tracked US prescribing trends of fentanyl, opioids, and other pain medications in outpatient and emergency department (ED) visits from 2006 to 2015. Data from the 2006-2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys was used. During that time period, 17.4% of office-based outpatient visits and 45% of ED visits listed a pain medication prescription. There was an increase of about 5% from 2006-2007 to 2014-2015 for outpatient visits in which any pain medication was prescribed. Fentanyl prescription rates remained stable but doubled at EDs. There was also an increase in non-opioid pain medications in both settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS022882; HS025164.
Citation: Vijay A, Rhee TG, Ross JS .
U.S. prescribing trends of fentanyl, opioids, and other pain medications in outpatient and emergency department visits from 2006 to 2015.
Prev Med 2019 Jun;123:123-29. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.03.022..
Keywords: Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Emergency Department, Hospitals, Medication, Opioids, Pain, Practice Patterns
Suda KJ, Durkin MJ, Calip GS
Comparison of opioid prescribing by dentists in the United States and England.
The goal of this cross-sectional study was to compare opioid prescribing rates by dentists in the US and England, using data on prescriptions dispensed from outpatient pharmacies and health care settings in 2016 by dentists in both countries. Findings show that the proportion of prescriptions for opioids written by US dentists was 37 times greater than the proportion written by English dentists. US dentists also had a higher number of opioid prescriptions per 1000 population and number of prescriptions per dentist. Dihydrocodeine was the only opioid prescribed by English dentists, while US dentists prescribed a range of opioids containing hydrocodone, codeine, oxycodone, and tramadol, as well as long-acting opioids. The researchers conclude that US dentists adopt measures similar to those used in England to reduce dental opioid prescribing in the United States.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation: Suda KJ, Durkin MJ, Calip GS .
Comparison of opioid prescribing by dentists in the United States and England.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 May 3;2(5):e194303. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4303..
Keywords: Dental and Oral Health, Medication, Opioids, Pain, Practice Patterns, Provider