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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (2)
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- (-) Chronic Conditions (18)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (2)
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- Opioids (9)
- (-) Pain (18)
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- Policy (1)
- Practice Patterns (2)
- Primary Care (3)
- Screening (1)
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- Substance Abuse (2)
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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 18 of 18 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
Rumble DD, O'Neal K, Overstreet DS
Sleep and neighborhood socioeconomic status: a micro longitudinal study of chronic low-back pain and pain-free individuals.
This study compared associations between neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES), pain-status (chronic low back pain vs. pain-free), and daily sleep metrics in 117 adults. With neighborhood-level SES gathered from Neighborhood Atlas, and with individuals completing home sleep monitoring for 7 consecutive days/nights, analyses revealed neighborhood-level SES and neighborhood-level SES pain-status interaction significantly impacted objective sleep quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Rumble DD, O'Neal K, Overstreet DS .
Sleep and neighborhood socioeconomic status: a micro longitudinal study of chronic low-back pain and pain-free individuals.
J Behav Med 2021 Dec;44(6):811-21. doi: 10.1007/s10865-021-00234-w..
Keywords: Sleep Problems, Back Health and Pain, Chronic Conditions, Pain
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)
Garrett SB, Nicosia F, Thompson N
Barriers and facilitators to older adults' use of nonpharmacologic approaches for chronic pain: a person-focused model.
This study examined the factors that influence older adults’ living with chronic pain use of nonpharmacologic approaches as complements to or substitutes for pharmacologic treatments for pain. The authors conducted 25 semistructured qualitative interviews with adults with multiple morbidities living with chronic pain for 6 months or more. Transcripts were coded to identify factors that hindered or encouraged participants’ use of various nonpharmacologic approaches. Three factors were grouped together: awareness of nonpharmacologic approaches as relevant to their pain, appeal of the approach, and access to the approach.
AHRQ-funded; HS022241.
Citation: Garrett SB, Nicosia F, Thompson N .
Barriers and facilitators to older adults' use of nonpharmacologic approaches for chronic pain: a person-focused model.
Pain 2021 Nov;162(11):2769-79. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002260..
Keywords: Elderly, Pain, Chronic Conditions
McKernan LC, Crofford LJ, Kim A
Electronic delivery of pain education for chronic overlapping pain conditions: a prospective cohort study.
This study’s objective was to examine the impact of educational materials for chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), the feasibility of delivery materials online, and to explore its impact on self-reported self-management applications at 3-month follow-up. This prospective cohort study used individuals from a university-wide active research repository with ≥1 coded diagnostic COPC by ICD-9/10 in the medical record. The authors assessed content awareness after the participants read educational materials pre- and post-exposure to education. A total of 216 individuals were enrolled, with 181 completing both timepoints. Knowledge and understanding of COPCs increased significantly after education and were retained at three months. There was no significant change to symptoms or self-management applications over the three-month period.
AHRQ-funded; HS022990.
Citation: McKernan LC, Crofford LJ, Kim A .
Electronic delivery of pain education for chronic overlapping pain conditions: a prospective cohort study.
Pain Med 2021 Oct 8;22(10):2252-62. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnab018..
Keywords: Education: Patient and Caregiver, Pain, Health Information Technology (HIT), Chronic Conditions
Andreae SJ, Andreae LJ, Richman JS
Peer-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy-based intervention reduced depression and stress in community dwelling adults with diabetes and chronic pain: a cluster randomized trial.
Researchers examined whether a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based program intended to increase physical activity despite chronic pain in patients with diabetes delivered by community members trained as peer coaches also improved depressive symptoms and perceived stress. They found that this peer-delivered CBT-based program improved depressive symptoms and stress in individuals with diabetes and chronic pain. They recommended training community members as a feasible strategy for offering CBT-based interventions in rural and under-resourced communities.
AHRQ-funded; HS019239.
Citation: Andreae SJ, Andreae LJ, Richman JS .
Peer-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy-based intervention reduced depression and stress in community dwelling adults with diabetes and chronic pain: a cluster randomized trial.
Ann Behav Med 2021 Oct 4;55(10):970-80. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaab034..
Keywords: Depression, Behavioral Health, Diabetes, Chronic Conditions, Treatments, Pain, Lifestyle Changes
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
Bifulco L, Anderson DR, Blankson ML
Evaluation of a chronic pain screening program implemented in primary care.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate a 2-step process for chronic pain screening and follow-up in primary care. Participants included primary care practitioners and medical assistants from 13 sites who implemented the screening process in primary care, and over 38,000 patients aged 18 or older with a primary care visit during the study’s July 2018-June 2019 time period. Findings showed that a systematic, 2-step process for chronic pain screening and functional assessment in primary care appeared to identify patients with previously undocumented chronic pain and that this process was feasible to implement.
AHRQ-funded; HS025354.
Citation: Bifulco L, Anderson DR, Blankson ML .
Evaluation of a chronic pain screening program implemented in primary care.
JAMA Netw Open 2021 Jul;4(7):e2118495. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.18495..
Keywords: Pain, Chronic Conditions, Primary Care, Screening
VanderPluym JH, Halker Singh RB, Urtecho M
Acute treatments for episodic migraine in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Migraine is common and can be associated with significant morbidity, and several treatment options exist for acute therapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the benefits and harms associated with acute treatments for episodic migraine in adults. The investigators concluded that there are several acute treatments for migraine, with varying strength of supporting evidence. Use of triptans, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, dihydroergotamine, calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonists, lasmiditan, and some nonpharmacologic treatments were associated with improved pain and function.
AHRQ-funded; 290201500013I.
Citation: VanderPluym JH, Halker Singh RB, Urtecho M .
Acute treatments for episodic migraine in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
JAMA 2021 Jun 15;325(23):2357-69. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.7939..
Keywords: Neurological Disorders, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Treatments
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
Overstreet DS, Michl AN, Penn TM
Temporal summation of mechanical pain prospectively predicts movement-evoked pain severity in adults with chronic low back pain.
The objective of this study was to determine whether quantitative sensory tests of endogenous pain inhibition and facilitation prospectively predict movement-evoked pain and chronic low back pain severity self-reported on a validated questionnaire. Through surveys using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form, findings suggested that a pro-nociceptive pain modulatory balance characterized by enhanced pain facilitation may be an important driver of movement-evoked pain severity and poor physical function in individuals with chronic low back pain.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Overstreet DS, Michl AN, Penn TM .
Temporal summation of mechanical pain prospectively predicts movement-evoked pain severity in adults with chronic low back pain.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2021 May 10;22(1):429. doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04306-5..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Diagnostic Safety and Quality
Kim HS, Ciolino JD, Lancki N
A prospective observational study of emergency department-initiated physical therapy for acute low back pain.
The purpose of this study was to compare patient-reported outcomes in patients receiving emergency department-initiated physical therapy and patients receiving usual care for acute low back pain. Findings showed that emergency department-initiated physical therapy for low back pain was associated with greater improvement in functioning and lower use of high-risk medications over 3 months.
AHRQ-funded; HS023011.
Citation: Kim HS, Ciolino JD, Lancki N .
A prospective observational study of emergency department-initiated physical therapy for acute low back pain.
Phys Ther 2021 Mar 3;101(3). doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzaa219..
Keywords: Emergency Department, Back Health and Pain, Pain, Chronic Conditions
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
Fenton JJ, Jerant A, Franks P
Watchful waiting as a strategy to reduce low-value spinal imaging: study protocol for a randomized trial.
This paper describes the protocol that will be used for an upcoming randomized control trial to determine the effectiveness of teaching clinicians how to advise watchful waiting when patients request low-value spinal imaging for acute low back pain. The authors will recruit 8-10 primary care and urgent care clinics in Sacramento, California. The study will last 3-6 months and during this time clinicians in the intervention group with receive 3 visits with standardized patient instructors (SPIs) portraying patients with acute back pain. The SPIs will instruct clinicians in a 3-step model emphasizing trust, empathic communication, and negotiation of a watchful waiting approach. The primary outcome looked for will a decreased post-intervention rate of spinal imaging among actual patients with acute back pain compared to the rate of imaging during the baseline period. Secondary outcomes will include use of targeted communication techniques during a follow-up visit with an SP.
AHRQ-funded; HS026415.
Citation: Fenton JJ, Jerant A, Franks P .
Watchful waiting as a strategy to reduce low-value spinal imaging: study protocol for a randomized trial.
Trials 2021 Feb 27;22(1):167. doi: 10.1186/s13063-021-05106-x..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Imaging, Diagnostic Safety and Quality, Clinician-Patient Communication, Communication
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