Creating an Opioid Recommendation Card for Trainees: Methods, Use, and Impact

An Institutional Curriculum for Opioid Prescribing Education: Outcomes From 2017 to 2022

INTRODUCTION

Prescription opioids, including those prescribed after surgery, have greatly contributed to the US opioid epidemic. Educating opioid prescribers is a crucial component of ensuring the safe use of opioids among surgical patients.

METHODS

An annual opioid prescribing education curriculum was implemented among new surgical prescribers at our institution between 2017 and 2022. The curriculum includes a single 75-min session which is comprised of several components: pain medications (dosing, indications, and contraindications); patients at high risk for uncontrolled pain and/or opioid misuse or abuse; patient monitoring and care plans; and state and federal regulations. Participants were asked to complete an opioid knowledge assessment before and after the didactic session.

RESULTS

Presession and postsession assessments were completed by 197 (89.6%) prescribers. Across the five studied years, the median presession score was 54.5%. This increased to 63.6% after completion of the curriculum, representing a median relative knowledge increase of 18.2%. The median relative improvement was greatest for preinterns and interns (18.2% for both groups); smaller improvements were observed for postgraduate year 2-5 residents (9.1%) and advanced practice providers (9.1%). On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 5 being comfortable), median (interquartile range) self-reported comfort in prescribing opioids increased from 3 (2-5) before education to 5 (4-6) after education (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Each year, the curriculum substantially improved provider knowledge of and comfort in opioid prescribing. Despite increased national awareness of the opioid epidemic and increasing institutional initiatives to improve opioid prescribing practices, there was a sustained knowledge and comfort gap among new surgical prescribers. The observed effects of our opioid education curriculum highlight the value of a simple and efficient educational initiative.

Comparing Rationale for Opioid Prescribing Decisions after Surgery with Subsequent Patient Consumption: A Survey of the Highest Quartile of Prescribers

BACKGROUND

Opioid prescribing patterns, including those after surgery, have been implicated as a significant contributor to the US opioid crisis. A plethora of interventions-from nudges to reminders-have been deployed to improve prescribing behavior, but reasons for persistent outlier behavior are often unknown.

STUDY DESIGN

Our institution employs multiple prescribing resources and a near real-time, feedback-based intervention to promote appropriate opioid prescribing. Since 2019, an automated system has emailed providers when a prescription exceeds the 75th percentile of typical opioid consumption for a given procedure-as defined by institutional data collection. Emails include population consumption metrics and an optional survey on rationale for prescribing. Responses were analyzed to understand why providers choose to prescribe atypically large discharge opioid prescriptions. We then compared provider prescriptions against patient consumption.

RESULTS

During the study period, 10,672 eligible postsurgical patients were discharged; 2,013 prescriptions (29.4% of opioid prescriptions) exceeded our institutional guideline. Surveys were completed by outlier prescribers for 414 (20.6%) encounters. Among patients where both consumption data and prescribing rationale surveys were available, 35.2% did not consume any opioids after discharge and 21.5% consumed <50% of their prescription. Only 93 (39.9%) patients receiving outlier prescriptions were outlier consumers. Most common reasons for prescribing outlier amounts were attending preference (34%) and prescriber analysis of patient characteristics (34%).

CONCLUSIONS

The top quartile of opioid prescriptions did not align with, and often far exceeded, patient postdischarge opioid consumption. Providers cite assessment of patient characteristics as a common driver of decision-making, but this did not align with patient usage for approximately 50% of patients.

Variability in Opioid Prescribing Among Plastic Surgery Residents After Bilateral Breast Reduction

BACKGROUND

Prescription opioid misuse in the United States accounts for significant avoidable morbidity and mortality. Over one third of all prescriptions written by surgeons are for opioids. Although opioids continue to provide needed analgesia for surgical patients, there are few guidelines in the plastic surgery literature for their safe and appropriate use after surgery. The consequence is wide variability and excessive opioid prescriptions. Understanding patterns of prescribing among plastic surgery residents is a crucial step toward developing safer practice models for managing postoperative pain.

METHODS

The authors performed a retrospective analysis of discharge opioid prescriptions after bilateral breast reduction at a single academic medical center from 2018 to 2021. Single factor 1-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate prescribing patterns by resident, postgraduate year, attending of record, and patient characteristics for 126 patients. A multivariate analysis was performed to determine the degree to which these factors predicted opioid prescriptions.

RESULTS

This analysis revealed significant variability among residents prescribing opioids after bilateral breast reductions ( P < 0.001) irrespective of patient comorbidities and demographics. Residents were found to be the main predictor of opioid prescriptions after surgery ( P < 0.001) with a greater number of morphine milligram equivalents prescribed by the more junior residents ( P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Excessive and variable opioid prescriptions among plastic surgery residents highlight the need for opioid prescribing education early in surgical training and improved oversight and communication with attending surgeons. Furthermore, implementation of evidence-based opioid-conscious analgesic protocols after common surgical procedures may improve patient safety by standardizing postoperative analgesic prescriptions.

Retention of Knowledge After Opioid Education in Surgical Interns

BACKGROUND

In many academic centers, opioid prescribing is managed primarily by residents with little or no formal opioid education. The present study evaluates intern knowledge and comfort with appropriate opioid prescribing 7 months after an organized opioid education effort.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A repeat knowledge and attitude survey was sent to surgical interns who had completed an initial opioid education training session 7 months before the study. Results were compared to post-education assessment results in the same cohort.

SETTING

16 general surgery and podiatric surgery interns at a single academic medical center.

RESULTS

The mean percentage of correct answers on follow-up was 67.6% identical to the average post-session score of 67.6%. Interns reported comfort with opioid prescribing increased to a mean score of 5.9 (out of 10) on follow-up compared to post-session score of 5.19.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical interns have significant gaps in knowledge for optimal prescribing and management of opioid prescriptions. Targeted education demonstrates significant and lasting improvement in opioid assessment scores, but there remains room for improvement.