Educational intervention for physicians to address the risk of opioid abuse

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret K. Pasquale, PhD ◽  
Richard L. Sheer, BA ◽  
Jack Mardekian, PhD ◽  
Elizabeth T. Masters, MS, MPH ◽  
Nick C. Patel, PharmD, PhD ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Patient Information ◽  
Opioid Abuse ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
The Impact

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a pilot intervention for physicians to support their treatment of patients at risk for opioid abuse.Setting, design and patients, participants: Patients at risk for opioid abuse enrolled in Medicare plans were identified from July 1, 2012 to April 30, 2014 (N = 2,391), based on a published predictive model, and linked to 4,353 opioid-prescribing physicians. Patient-physician clusters were randomly assigned to one of four interventions using factorial design.Interventions: Physicians received one of the following: Arm 1, patient information; Arm 2, links to educational materials for diagnosis and management of pain; Arm 3, both patient information and links to educational materials; or Arm 4, no communication.Main outcome measures: Difference-in-difference analyses compared opioid and pain prescriptions, chronic high-dose opioid use, uncoordinated opioid use, and opioid-related emergency department (ED) visits. Logistic regression compared diagnosis of opioid abuse between cases and controls postindex.Results: Mailings had no significant impact on numbers of opioid or pain medications filled, chronic high-dose opioid use, uncoordinated opioid use, ED visits, or rate of diagnosed opioid abuse. Relative to Arm 4, odds ratios (95% CI) for diagnosed opioid abuse were Arm 1, 0.95(0.63-1.42); Arm 2, 0.83(0.55-1.27); Arm 3, 0.72(0.46-1.13). While 84.7 percent had ≥ 1 psychiatric diagnoses during preindex (p = 0.89 between arms), only 9.5 percent had ≥ 1 visit with mental health specialists (p = 0.53 between arms).Conclusions: Although this intervention did not affect pain-related outcomes, future interventions involving care coordination across primary care and mental health may impact opioid abuse and improve quality of life of patients with pain.

scholarly journals Predicting Persistent Opioid Use, Abuse, and Toxicity Among Cancer Survivors

2019 ◽  
Vol 112 (7) ◽  
pp. 720-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas K Vitzthum ◽  
Paul Riviere ◽  
Paige Sheridan ◽  
Vinit Nalawade ◽  
Rishi Deka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Opioid Abuse ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Patients At Risk

Abstract Background Although opioids play a critical role in the management of cancer pain, the ongoing opioid epidemic has raised concerns regarding their persistent use and abuse. We lack data-driven tools in oncology to understand the risk of adverse opioid-related outcomes. This project seeks to identify clinical risk factors and create a risk score to help identify patients at risk of persistent opioid use and abuse. Methods Within a cohort of 106 732 military veteran cancer survivors diagnosed between 2000 and 2015, we determined rates of persistent posttreatment opioid use, diagnoses of opioid abuse or dependence, and admissions for opioid toxicity. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify patient, cancer, and treatment risk factors associated with adverse opioid-related outcomes. Predictive risk models were developed and validated using a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression technique. Results The rate of persistent opioid use in cancer survivors was 8.3% (95% CI = 8.1% to 8.4%); the rate of opioid abuse or dependence was 2.9% (95% CI = 2.8% to 3.0%); and the rate of opioid-related admissions was 2.1% (95% CI = 2.0% to 2.2%). On multivariable analysis, several patient, demographic, and cancer and treatment factors were associated with risk of persistent opioid use. Predictive models showed a high level of discrimination when identifying individuals at risk of adverse opioid-related outcomes including persistent opioid use (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.85), future diagnoses of opioid abuse or dependence (AUC = 0.87), and admission for opioid abuse or toxicity (AUC = 0.78). Conclusion This study demonstrates the potential to predict adverse opioid-related outcomes among cancer survivors. With further validation, personalized risk-stratification approaches could guide management when prescribing opioids in cancer patients.

Impact of the VA opioid safety initiative on pain management for cancer patients.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 102-102
Author(s):  
Mallika Marar ◽  
Vinit Nalawade ◽  
Neil Panjwani ◽  
Paul Riviere ◽  
Timothy Furnish ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pain Management ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Opioid Abuse ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Opioid Prescribing ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Safety Initiative

102 Background: Limited research exists on how risk reduction policies in response to the opioid epidemic have impacted pain management among cancer patients. This study investigated the impact of the Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) on opioid prescribing patterns and opioid-related toxicity among patients undergoing definitive cancer treatment. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 42,064 opioid-naïve patients receiving definitive local therapy for prostate, lung, breast, and colorectal cancer at the VHA from 2011-2016. Interrupted time series analysis with segmented regression was used to evaluate the impact of the OSI, which launched October 2013. The primary outcome was the incidence of new opioid prescriptions with diagnosis or treatment. Secondary outcomes included rates of high daily dose opioid (≥ 100 morphine milligram equivalent) and concomitant benzodiazepine prescriptions. Additional long-term outcomes included persistent opioid use, opioid abuse diagnoses, pain-related ED visits, and opioid-related admissions. Results: Prior to OSI implementation, the incidence of opioid prescriptions among new cancer patients increased from 26.7% (95% CI 25.0 – 28.4) in the first quarter (Q1) of 2011 to 50.6% (95% CI 48.3 – 53.0) in Q3 2013. There was a monthly increase in opioid prescription rate pre-OSI followed by a monthly decrease post-OSI (Table). High-dose opioid prescriptions were rare, and the monthly rate was stable before and after the OSI. Monthly incidence of concomitant benzodiazepine prescriptions was stable pre-OSI and decreased post-OSI. Persistent opioid use increased pre-OSI and decreased post-OSI. Pain-related ED visits had an incidence of 0.8% (95% CI 0.4 – 1.0) in Q1 2011, 0.3% (95% CI 0.1 – 0.6) in Q3 2013, and 1.8% (95% CI 0.9 – 2.7) in Q4 2016, with an increasing monthly rate after the OSI. At three years, the cumulative incidence of opioid abuse was 1.2% for both the pre- and post-OSI groups but opioid-related admissions were greater in the pre-OSI cohort than the post-OSI cohort (0.9% vs. 0.5%, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The OSI was associated with a decrease in new, persistent, and certain high-risk opioid prescribing as well as an increase in pain-related ED visits. Further research on patient-centered outcomes is required to optimize opioid prescribing policies for patients with cancer.[Table: see text]

Recommendations for perioperative care of adolescents at risk for suicide

2021 ◽  
pp. 175045892110209
Author(s):  
Rachelle H Dustin ◽  
Blaine A Winters
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Suicide Attempt ◽  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Direct Care ◽  
Suicide Screening ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Or History

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for the adolescent population, and as such, should be considered when adolescents have any contact with the healthcare system, including perioperative appointments. Although some surgical facilities screen patients with a history of suicide attempt or severe mental health conditions, many adolescents who have died by suicide do not have official mental health diagnoses or history of previous suicide attempt. Because of the impact surgery can have on mental health, each adolescent should be screened for suicide risk during pre-surgical consult appointments to assess suicide risk and take proper precautions, as needed. Suicide screening should be implemented as part of the focused assessment prior to surgery to more comprehensively combat the rising suicide rates of adolescents. This paper provides recommendations to direct care of adolescent surgical patients at risk for suicide.

High-Dose Corticosteroid Pulse Therapy Increases the Survival Rate in COVID-19 Patients at Risk of Cytokine Storm

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Ángel López-Zúñiga ◽  
Aida Moreno-Moral ◽  
Ana Ocaña-Granados ◽  
Francisco Padilla-Moreno ◽  
Alba María Castillo-Fernández ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Survival Rate ◽  
Pulse Therapy ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Cytokine Storm ◽  
High Dose Corticosteroid ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
Corticosteroid Pulse Therapy ◽  
Dose Corticosteroid

P053 VARIATIONS IN HEALTHCARE UTILIZATION PATTERNS AMONG HIGH RISK INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE PATIENTS ENROLLED IN HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH PLANS

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S67-S68
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Berinstein ◽  
Shirley Cohen-Mekelburg ◽  
Calen Steiner ◽  
Megan Mcleod ◽  
Mohamed Noureldin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Resource Utilization ◽  
Time Trends ◽  
Healthcare Costs ◽  
Insurance Plan ◽  
High Resource ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
Out Of Pocket Costs

Abstract Background High-deductible health plan (HDHP) enrollment has increased rapidly over the last decade. Patients with HDHPs are incentivized to delay or avoid necessary medical care. We aimed to quantify the out-of-pocket costs of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients at risk for high healthcare resource utilization and to evaluate for differences in medical service utilization according to time in insurance period between HDHP and traditional health plan (THP) enrollees. Variations in healthcare utilization according to time may suggest that these patients are delaying or foregoing necessary medical care due to healthcare costs. Methods IBD patients at risk for high resource utilization (defined as recent corticosteroid and narcotic use) continuously enrolled in an HDHP or THP from 2009–2016 were identified using the Truven Health MarketScan database. Median annual financial information was calculated. Time trends in office visits, colonoscopies, emergency department (ED) visits, and hospitalizations were evaluated using additive decomposition time series analysis. Financial information and time trends were compared between the two insurance plan groups. Results Of 605,862 with a diagnosis of IBD, we identified 13,052 patients at risk for high resource utilization with continuous insurance plan enrollment. The median annual out-of-pocket costs were higher in the HDHP group (n=524) than in the THP group (n=12,458) ($1,920 vs. $1,205, p&lt;0.001), as was the median deductible amount ($1,015 vs $289, p&lt;0.001), without any difference in the median annual total healthcare expenses (Figure 1). Time in insurance period had a greater influence on utilization of colonoscopies, ED visits, and hospitalization in IBD patients enrolled in HDHPs compared to THPs (Figure 2). Colonoscopies peaked in the 4th quarter, ED visits peaked in the 1st quarter, and hospitalizations peaked in the 3rd and 4th quarter. Conclusion Among IBD patients at high risk for IBD-related utilization, HDHP enrollment does not change the cost of care, but shifts healthcare costs onto patients. This may be a result of HDHPs incentivizing delays with a potential for both worse disease outcomes and financial toxicity and needs to be further examined using prospective studies.

scholarly journals Assessment of the impact of an opioid-specific education series on rates of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in veterans

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor Kirby ◽  
Robert Connell ◽  
Travis Linneman
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analysis ◽  
Hospital Admission ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Motivation To Change ◽  
Heroin Use ◽  
Ed Visits ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose The impact of a focused inpatient educational intervention on rates of medication-assisted therapy (MAT) for veterans with opioid use disorder (OUD) was evaluated. Methods A retrospective cohort analysis compared rates of MAT, along with rates of OUD-related emergency department (ED) visits and/or hospital admission within 1 year, between veterans with a diagnosis of OUD who completed inpatient rehabilitation prior to implementation of a series of group sessions designed to engage intrinsic motivation to change behavior surrounding opioid abuse and provide education about MAT (the control group) and those who completed rehabilitation after implementation of the education program (the intervention group). A post hoc, multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate possible predictors of MAT use and ED and/or hospital readmission, including completion of the opioid series, gender, age (&gt;45 years), race, and specific prior substance(s) of abuse. Results One hundred fifty-eight patients were included: 95 in the control group and 63 in the intervention group. Rates of MAT were 25% (24 of 95 veterans) and 75% (47 of 63 veterans) in control and intervention groups, respectively (P &lt; 0.01). Gender, completion of the opioid series, prior heroin use, and marijuana use met prespecified significance criteria for inclusion in multivariate regression modeling of association with MAT utilization, with participation in the opioid series (odds ratio [OR], 9.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.36-20.96) and prior heroin use (OR, 3.26; 95% CI, 1.18-9.01) found to be significant predictors of MAT utilization on multivariate analysis. Opioid series participation and MAT use were independently associated with decreased rates of OUD-related ED visits and/or hospital admission (hazard ratios of 0.16 [95% CI, 0.06-0.44] and 0.32 [95% CI, 0.14-0.77], respectively) within 1 year after rehabilitation completion. Conclusion Focused OUD-related education in a substance abuse program for veterans with OUD increased rates of MAT and was associated with a decrease in OUD-related ED visits and/or hospital admission within 1 year.

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on wellbeing and cognitive functioning of older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah De Pue ◽  
Céline Gillebert ◽  
Eva Dierckx ◽  
Marie-Anne Vanderhasselt ◽  
Rudi De Raedt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
The Impact

AbstractCOVID-19 took a heavy toll on older adults. In Belgium, by the end of August, 93% of deaths due to COVID-19 were aged 65 or older. Similar trends were observed in other countries. As a consequence, older adults were identified as a group at risk, and strict governmental restrictions were imposed on them. This has caused concerns about their mental health. Using an online survey, this study established the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults aged 65 years or older, and which factors moderate this impact. Participants reported a significant decrease in activity level, sleep quality and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression was strongly related to reported declines in activity level, sleep quality, wellbeing and cognitive functioning. Our study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on the mental health of older adults. This implies that this group at risk requires attention of governments and healthcare.

European Respiratory Society Statement on Sleep Apnoea, Sleepiness and Driving Risk

2020 ◽  
pp. 2001272
Author(s):  
Maria R Bonsignore ◽  
Winfried Randerath ◽  
Sofia Schiza ◽  
Johan Verbraecken ◽  
Mark W Elliott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Present Report ◽  
Sleep Apnoea ◽  
Accident Risk ◽  
European Respiratory Society ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Patients At Risk ◽  
The Impact

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is highly prevalent and is a recognised risk factor for motor vehicle accidents (MVA). Effective treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been associated with a normalisation of this increased accident risk. Thus, many jurisdictions have introduced regulations restricting the ability of OSA patients from driving until effectively treated. However, uncertainty prevails regarding the relative importance of OSA severity determined by the apnoea-hypopnoea frequency per hour and the degree of sleepiness in determining accident risk. Furthermore, the identification of subjects at risk for OSA and/or accident risk remains elusive. The introduction of official European regulations regarding fitness to drive prompted the European Respiratory Society to establish a Task Force to address the topic of sleep apnoea, sleepiness and driving with a view to providing an overview to clinicians involved in treating patients with the disorder. The present report evaluates the epidemiology of MVA in patients with OSA, the mechanisms involved in this association, the role of screening questionnaires, driving simulators and other techniques to evaluate sleepiness and/or impaired vigilance, the impact of treatment on MVA risk in affected drivers, and highlights the evidence gaps regarding the identification of OSA patients at risk for MVA.

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