Pain medicine : the official journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine
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Guidelines recommend that clinicians make decisions about opioid tapering for patients with chronic pain using a benefit-to-harm framework and engaging patients. Studies have not examined clinician documentation about opioid tapering using this framework. ⋯ In this study, documentation of opioid tapering focused on potential harms of continuing opioids, indicated variable patient engagement, and lacked a complete benefit-to-harm framework. Future initiatives should develop standardized ways of incorporating a benefit-to-harm framework and patient engagement into clinician decisions and documentation about opioid tapering.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Patients' Experiences with Telecare for Chronic Pain and Mood Symptoms: A Qualitative Study.
Pain, anxiety, and depression commonly co-occur, can have reciprocal effects, and are associated with substantial disability and health care costs. However, few interventions target treatment of pain and mood disorders as a whole. The Comprehensive vs. Assisted Management of Mood and Pain Symptoms (CAMMPS) trial was a randomized trial comparing two pragmatic telecare interventions, a high- vs low-resource approach to pain and anxiety/depression treatment. The purpose of the current study is to better understand patients' perspectives on both intervention approaches, including intervention components, delivery, patient experiences, and patient outcomes. ⋯ Patients in a telecare intervention for chronic pain and mood symptoms learned to connect pain and mood and be more aware of their symptoms, enabling more effective symptom management. Patients in the high-resource intervention described the added benefits of a nurse who provided informational and motivational support. Implications for tradeoffs between resource intensity and patient outcomes are discussed.
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This study examined patterns of initial transdermal fentanyl (TDF) claims among US commercially insured patients and explored the risk of 30-day hospitalization among patients with and without prior opioid exposure necessary to produce tolerance. ⋯ A majority of patients met FDA opioid dose thresholds for TDF but had insufficient time exposure based on package insert recommendations for tolerance. Exploratory analysis did not detect a difference in odds for all-cause hospitalization or respiratory-related 30-day hospitalization between guideline-consistent or -inconsistent TDF claims. Prescribers should continue to adhere to FDA TDF labeling, although certain aspects of the labeling should be reevaluated or clarified.
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To evaluate the effectiveness of stewardship interventions in reducing the prescribing of extended-release opioids for acute pain. ⋯ Forcing function interventions implemented at system levels show promise in decreasing the prescribing of extended-release opioids for acute pain. The current lack of literature warrants future research to increase understanding of the effectiveness of such interventions.
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To assess the generalizability of the overdose or serious opioid-induced respiratory depression risk index (VHA-RIOSORD), created by Zedler et al., using claims data from a large private insurer. ⋯ Consistent with the findings of its developers, the VHA-RIOSORD performed well in identifying members of a large private insurance company who were medical users of prescription opioids at elevated risk of overdose or life-threatening respiratory depression, those most likely to benefit from preventive interventions.