Opioid Education’s Impact 2 Years Post Op

Rothman Institute studied the impact of preoperative opioid use education on opioid consumption at a 2 year follow up interval with surgery patients. The study received a 2018 Neer Award. Read the summary.

The purpose of this Neer Award winning (2018) Rothman Institute study was to determine whether or not preoperative opioid education reduces the risk of opioid dependence in surgical patients. The results of the study revealed that patients who were preoperatively educated on the potential dangers of postoperative opioid use were significantly less likely to become opioid-dependent at a 2-year follow-up.

Opioid education was found to be an independent factor that is protective against opioid dependence.

This study was limited to patients who had undergone the same single procedure (​​arthroscopic rotator cuff repair). Some key highlights of this study include:

  • Opioid education (P = .03; odds ratio, 0.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.90) was found to be an independent factor that is protective against opioid dependence. 
  • Study patients had a lower rate of opioid dependence (11.4%, 8 of 50) than control patients (25.7%, 18 of 50) (P = .05)
  • Significantly fewer prescriptions were filled by study patients (mean, 2.9) than by control patients (mean, 6.3) (P = .03)
  • Fewer pills were consumed by study patients (median, 60; interquartile range [IQR], 30, 132) than by control patients (median, 120; IQR, 30, 340) (P = .10)

Access the full study: The effect of preoperative education on opioid consumption in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a prospective, randomized clinical trial—2-year follow-up

Cryotherapy Study Shows Pain Management Gains with Compression

A study originally published in The Journal of Knee Surgery looks at the efficacy of cryotherapy combined with compression in ACL repair cases, versus standard cryotherapy alone. Read the summary.

Patient Education Materials Study Shows Gap in Recommended Reading Levels

A recent study looked at the content and quality of online patient education material related to postoperative opioid use in pain management. Read the results in the summary.

Changing Patient Behavior in Disposal of Excess Opioids

A surgical center partnered with a nonprofit agency to study the behavior of patients in disposing of excess opioids prescribed to them following outpatient surgery. Read the summary.

Are Opioids Always Necessary? This Post-op Protocol Study Says Maybe Not.

A recent study (2021) assessed the efficacy of nonopioid pain protocols versus opioid control in mitigating postoperative pain following knee surgery. Read the surprising results in the summary.

Study Finds Optional Opioid Refills Leads to Safer Communities

A recent study examined the impact of prescription instructions on the consumption of opioids by patients following knee surgery. Read the results in the summary.

Meta-analysis Shows Post-op Opioid Consumption Reduction Possible With Right Pain Control Approach

A comprehensive review of multiple studies evaluated the effects of post-op nonopioid adjunct analgesia on postoperative opioid consumption and pain control in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy.​​ Read the summary.

Opioid Education Study Proves Knowledge is Power

Researchers assessed the relationship between preoperative opioid use education and consumption by surgical patients. Their findings were published in JAMA. Read the summary.

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