Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Multicenter Study
The Impact of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and Prescribing Guidelines on Emergency Department Opioid Prescribing: A Multi-Center Survey.
Emergency department (ED) providers are high volume but low quantity prescribers of opioid analgesics (OA). Few studies have examined differences in opioid prescribing decisions specifically among ED providers. The aim of this study was to describe OA prescribing decisions of ED providers at geographically diverse centers, including utilization of prescribing guidelines and prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP). ⋯ In this multi-center survey study of ED clinicians, OA prescribing varied between centers The utilization of prescribing guidelines and PDMPs was not associated with differences in OA prescribing decisions.
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Multicenter Study
Back Stiffness Is Associated with Physical Health and Low Back Pain-Related Disability in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.
Back stiffness is a common complaint among older adults with low back pain. Nonetheless, self-reported back stiffness has received little exploration in this patient population. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of self-reported low back stiffness with physical health and low back pain-related disability among older adults with low back pain. ⋯ Back stiffness in older, community-dwelling adults with low back pain may help explain physical health and low back pain-related disability, above and beyond demographics and pain. Future longitudinal research is needed to evaluate low back stiffness as a predictor of physical health and disability. Ultimately, assessment and treatment of back stiffness in older adults with low back pain may improve patient outcomes.