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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 20 of 20 Research Studies DisplayedAgbalajobi 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
Schirle L, Jeffery A, Yaqoob A
Two data-driven approaches to identifying the spectrum of problematic opioid use: a pilot study within a chronic pain cohort.
Although electronic health records (EHR) have significant potential for the study of opioid use disorders (OUD), detecting OUD in clinical data is challenging. Models using EHR data to predict OUD often rely on case/control classifications focused on extreme opioid use. IN this study, the investigators discussed two data-driven approaches to identifying the spectrum of problematic opioid use. The investigators concluded that risk scores comprising comorbidities and text offer differing but synergistic insights into characterizing problematic opioid use.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Schirle L, Jeffery A, Yaqoob A .
Two data-driven approaches to identifying the spectrum of problematic opioid use: a pilot study within a chronic pain cohort.
Int J Med Inform 2021 Dec;156:104621. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2021.104621..
Keywords: Opioids, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Medication, Health Information Technology (HIT)
Goyal MK, Drendel AL, Chamberlain JM
Racial/ethnic differences in ED opioid prescriptions for long bone fractures: trends over time.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether racial and/or ethnic differences in provision of outpatient opioid prescriptions for children discharged from the ED with long bone fractures have decreased over time. Findings showed that, as provision of opioid prescriptions declined over time, previously marked racial and/or ethnic disparities in opioid
prescription rates at ED discharge decreased.
prescription rates at ED discharge decreased.
AHRQ-funded; HS020270.
Citation: Goyal MK, Drendel AL, Chamberlain JM .
Racial/ethnic differences in ED opioid prescriptions for long bone fractures: trends over time.
Pediatrics 2021 Nov;148(5):e2021052481. doi: 10.1542/peds.2021-052481..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Opioids, Emergency Department, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Injuries and Wounds, Pain, Medication
Keenan KE, Rothberg MB, Herzig SJ
Association between opioids prescribed to medical inpatients with pain and long-term opioid use.
This study’s objective was to identify the association between opioid exposure during a medical hospitalization and opioid use 6 to 12 months later. This observational cohort study used electronic health record data from 10 hospitals in the Cleveland Clinic Health System in 2016. Eligible patients were opioid-naïve adults with pain 18 years and older. The authors estimated the odds of long-term opioid use (defined as ≥2 prescriptions for at least 30 pills 6 to 12 months posthospitalization) by opioid exposure during the hospitalization. Among the 2971 patients in the study, 64% received opioids during their hospitalization, and 28% were discharged with opioids. A total of 3% of patients had long-term use with a higher pain score associated with greater odds of long-term use.
AHRQ-funded; HS026215.
Citation: Keenan KE, Rothberg MB, Herzig SJ .
Association between opioids prescribed to medical inpatients with pain and long-term opioid use.
South Med J 2021 Oct;114(10):623-29. doi: 10.14423/smj.0000000000001307..
Keywords: Opioids, Hospitalization, Pain, Substance Abuse, Medication
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
Bedford T, Adediran T, Haycock NR
Patient and provider acceptability of a patient preauthorized concealed opioid reduction.
Researchers investigated patient and provider acceptance of a concealed opioid reduction for chronic pain. They conducted a cross-sectional survey with patients who are taking or have taken high dose opioids via REDcap, and with providers via a validated questionnaire. They found that patients and providers have positive attitudes toward a concealed reduction of opioid dosages. They concluded that their findings support future randomized controlled trials that compare concealed and overt opioid tapering in patients with chronic pain.
AHRQ-funded; HS022135.
Citation: Bedford T, Adediran T, Haycock NR .
Patient and provider acceptability of a patient preauthorized concealed opioid reduction.
Pain Med 2021 Jul 25;22(7):1651-59. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnaa454..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Pain, Chronic Conditions
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
Bernard DM, Encinosa W, Cohen J
AHRQ Author: Bernard DM Encinosa W Cohen J Fang Z
Patient factors that affect opioid use among adults with and without chronic pain.
Investigators sought to determine patient characteristics associated with opioid use among adults with and without chronic pain treatment. Using MEPS data, they found that health-related attitudes affect both adults with and without chronic pain treatment similarly. Adults with self-reliant health attitudes were less likely to start and more likely to discontinue opioid use. Exercise was associated with higher probability of choosing no analgesic treatments over using opioids and also with higher probability of discontinuing opioid use in the year following opioid initiation for those electing to use them.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Bernard DM, Encinosa W, Cohen J .
Patient factors that affect opioid use among adults with and without chronic pain.
Res Social Adm Pharm 2021 Jun;17(6):1059-65. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.07.036..
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Opioids, Medication, Pain, Chronic Conditions
Agarwal AK, Lee D, Ali Z
Patient-reported opioid consumption and pain intensity after common orthopedic and urologic surgical procedures with use of an automated text messaging system.
This prospective study looked at the number of opioid tablets taken compared to the number prescribed after orthopedic and urologic surgery at a large urban academic health center in Pennsylvania from May to December 2019 with the use of an automated text messaging system. Of the 919 study participants, 80.7% (742) underwent orthopedic procedures and 19.2% underwent urologic procedures. Among those who underwent orthopedic procedures, 384 were women, 491 were White, and the median age was 48 years; with almost 70% outpatient procedures. Among those who underwent urologic procedures, 84.8% were men, 80.7% were White, and the median age was 56 years; 62% had an outpatient procedure. Orthopedic patients were prescribed an average of 20 tablets and urologic patients 7 tablets. The majority of patients (64.1%) used less than half of the amount prescribed, and 256 orthopedic and 77 urologic patients did not use any opioids. The findings suggest that clinicians can tailor prescriptions to limit excess quantities of prescribed opioids.
AHRQ-funded; HS026372.
Citation: Agarwal AK, Lee D, Ali Z .
Patient-reported opioid consumption and pain intensity after common orthopedic and urologic surgical procedures with use of an automated text messaging system.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Mar;4(3):e213243. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.3243..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Pain, Orthopedics, Surgery
Wyse JJ, Lovejoy J, Holloway J
Patients' perceptions of the pathways linking chronic pain with problematic substance use.
This study examined how patients with chronic pain perceive their relationship between their substance use disorder (SUD) and chronic pain. About one-half of patients with SUDs experience chronic pain. The authors conducted qualitative interviews with 34 patients involved in SUD treatment who were also diagnosed with chronic pain. The interviews revealed 3 primary pathways. One group described SUD as development independently from their experiences of chronic pain. A second group described turning to substances to self-manage or cope with the chronic pain. A third group described encounters with opioid medications as the causal agent.
AHRQ-funded; HS026370.
Citation: Wyse JJ, Lovejoy J, Holloway J .
Patients' perceptions of the pathways linking chronic pain with problematic substance use.
Pain 2021 Mar;162(3):787-93. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002077..
Keywords: Opioids, Substance Abuse, Medication, Pain, Chronic Conditions
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
Hood-Medland EA, White AEC, Kravitz RL
Agenda setting and visit openings in primary care visits involving patients taking opioids for chronic pain.
This study looked at primary care visit opening styles to assess use of agenda and non-agenda setting visit openings and their effects on participant experience with patients taking opioids for chronic pain. The study analyzed 83 video-recorded US primary care visits at a single academic medical center in California. A total of 49 family medicine and internal resident physicians and 83 patients were filmed. The authors developed a coding scheme that assessed the presence of agenda setting, distinct visit opening styles, and the number of total topics, major topics, surprise patient topics, and returns to prior topics discusses. They identified 2 visit opening styles with agenda setting (agenda eliciting, agenda reframing) and 3 non-agenda opening styles (open-ended question, patient launch, physician launch). Only 11% of visits included agenda setting and was associated with fewer surprise patient topics than visits without agenda setting.
AHRQ-funded; HS022236.
Citation: Hood-Medland EA, White AEC, Kravitz RL .
Agenda setting and visit openings in primary care visits involving patients taking opioids for chronic pain.
BMC Fam Pract 2021 Jan 4;22(1):4. doi: 10.1186/s12875-020-01317-4..
Keywords: Primary Care, Opioids, Medication, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication, Ambulatory Care and Surgery
Wyse J, Simmons A, Ramachandran B
"I don't mind doing what it takes to be safe." Patient perspectives of urine drug testing for pain.
This study sought to uncover patients’ beliefs regarding UDT and its implications for the patient–clinician relationship. Urine drug testing (UDT) is a standard recommendation for those prescribed long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for pain but remains underutilized. Clinician fears regarding negative patient perceptions have been identified as a barrier to conducting UDT; however, little is known about patient perspectives of UDT.
AHRQ-funded; HS026370.
Citation: Wyse J, Simmons A, Ramachandran B .
"I don't mind doing what it takes to be safe." Patient perspectives of urine drug testing for pain.
J Gen Intern Med 2021 Jan;36(1):243-44. doi: 10.1007/s11606-020-05688-3..
Keywords: Pain, Chronic Conditions, Opioids, Medication, Medication: Safety, Patient Safety, Substance Abuse
Stephens KA, Ike B, Baldwin LM
Challenges and approaches to population management of long-term opioid therapy patients.
Primary care is challenged with safely prescribing opioids for patients with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP), specifically to address risks for overdose, opioid use disorder, and death. In this study, the investigators identified sociotechnical challenges, approaches, and recommendations in primary care to effectively track and monitor patients on long-term opioid therapy, a key component for supporting adoption of opioid prescribing guidelines.
AHRQ-funded; HS023750.
Citation: Stephens KA, Ike B, Baldwin LM .
Challenges and approaches to population management of long-term opioid therapy patients.
J Am Board Fam Med 2021 Jan-Feb;34(1):89-98. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.01.190100..
Keywords: Opioids, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Care Management, Medication, Primary Care, Ambulatory Care and Surgery
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
Raebel MA, Newcomer SR, Bayliss EA
Chronic opioid use emerging after bariatric surgery.
The purpose of this study was to determine opioid use the year after bariatric surgery among patients who did not use opioids chronically pre-surgery and to identify pre-surgery characteristics associated with chronic opioid use after surgery. It found that patients dispensed 60 to 119 days’ supply during the pre-surgery year were 13.23 to 14.29 times more likely to use opioids chronically post-surgery than patients without opioid use pre-surgery.
AHRQ-funded; HS019912.
Citation: Raebel MA, Newcomer SR, Bayliss EA .
Chronic opioid use emerging after bariatric surgery.
Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2014 Dec;23(12):1247-57. doi: 10.1002/pds.3625..
Keywords: Medication, Obesity, Opioids, Pain, Substance Abuse, Surgery
Kilaru AS, Gadsden SM, Perrone J
How do physicians adopt and apply opioid prescription guidelines in the emergency department? A qualitative study.
This qualitative study of emergency physicians attempted to gain insight into the adoption, use, and perceived relevance of opioid-prescribing guidelines. Most of the 61 participants interviewed in a convenience sample had a positive perspective on the intent and role of such guidelines and used them most commonly as communication tools with patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS021956.
Citation: Kilaru AS, Gadsden SM, Perrone J .
How do physicians adopt and apply opioid prescription guidelines in the emergency department? A qualitative study.
Ann Emerg Med 2014 Nov;64(5):482-89.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2014.03.015.
.
.
Keywords: Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Opioids, Pain, Guidelines, Practice Patterns
Kim DH, Lin Y, Goytizolo EA
Adductor canal block versus femoral nerve block for total knee arthroplasty: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial.
In a study of pain relief for patients recovering from a total knee arthroplasty, researchers found that adductor canal block (ACB) results in less motor impairment for quadriceps muscles after surgery than femoral nerve block (FNB) and it provides a comparable level of pain relief. The prospective, randomized, controlled study included 46 patients receiving ACB and 47 receiving FNB.
AHRQ-funded; HS021734
Citation: Kim DH, Lin Y, Goytizolo EA .
Adductor canal block versus femoral nerve block for total knee arthroplasty: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial.
Anesthesiology. 2014 Mar;120(3):540-50. doi: 10.1097/ALN.0000000000000119..
Keywords: Medication, Opioids, Outcomes, Pain, Surgery
Nuckols TK, Anderson L, Popescu I
Opioid prescribing: a systematic review and critical appraisal of guidelines for chronic pain.
This review evaluated the quality and content of guidelines on the use of opioids for chronic pain. Despite limited evidence and variable development methods, it concluded that recent guidelines on chronic pain agree on several opioid risk mitigation strategies, including upper dosing thresholds; cautions with certain medications; attention to drug–drug and drug–disease interactions; and use of risk assessment tools, treatment agreements, and urine drug testing.
AHRQ-funded; HS017954.
Citation: Nuckols TK, Anderson L, Popescu I .
Opioid prescribing: a systematic review and critical appraisal of guidelines for chronic pain.
Ann Intern Med 2014 Jan 7;160(1):38-47. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-160-1-201401070-00732..
Keywords: Opioids, Pain, Guidelines, Medication, Evidence-Based Practice, Chronic Conditions