Evaluation of Acute Care Providers' Opioid Prescribing Practices in Chronic Non-Cancer Pain

1 online resource (107 pages) : PDF

2021

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Over 760,000 people have died from an opioid overdose since 1999. In 2019, the opioid epidemic claimed more than 70,000 lives, with over 1.6 million having an opioid use disorder. Literature suggests an association between increased opioid prescribing and increased opioid addiction; limiting the number of opioid prescriptions written may reduce opioid addiction. There is variation in opioid prescribing practices among acute care providers and opioid prescribing education has been proven to optimize prescribing in the acute care setting. This quality improvement project sought to minimize the use of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain by adhering to the Centers for Disease Control Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. Twenty-five acute-care providers including medical doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants participated. This project included a pre-test to measure providers baseline pain management knowledge, an educational module, and a post-test. Retrospective chart audits were performed on records of patients discharged from the acute care setting from July to August 2020 with an opioid for chronic non-cancer pain prior to implementation of educational intervention and again January to February 2021 post-implementation. Comparison of the pre-and-post-test surveys revealed learning in several areas. Though not statistically significant, (Pre: 40.4; Post: 41.3, p=.276), efficacy of the educational session was evident by improved test scores, pre-test (M = 40.4, SD = 3.5) and post-test (M = 41.3, SD = 4.7). The average number of opioid prescriptions by provider decreased significantly in the post-intervention period (Pre: 3.4; Post: .24, p<.000). Results suggest that implementing opioid-prescribing guidelines can reduce sub-optimal opioid prescribing in the acute care setting, thereby reducing the number of available opioids in the community for diversion and abuse.

doctoral dissertations

Nursing

D.N.P.

CDC Opioid Prescribing Guidelines
Chronic non-Cancer Pain
Opioid Epidemic
Opioid Prescribing in Acute Care
Opioids in Hospital
Opioids Prescribing Hospitalists

Health Services Research

Burfield, Allison

Kazemi, Donna
Myers, Erika
Johnson Listwan, Shelley

Thesis (D.N.P.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2021.

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