Medication Abuse

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of clinical decision support (CDS) alert to notify providers when the opioid prescription being written will result in the patient transitioning into a new phase of opioid therapy. The 2022 CDC clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids for pain recommends providers reassess patient pain as well as the risks and benefits of opioid therapy before patients transition from acute to subacute treatment (1 month of opioid analgesics) and when patients transition from subacute to chronic opioid treatment (3 months). This study will evaluate a clinical decision support tool identifying patients who will be transitioning between phases as a result of an opioid prescription and suggest a review of patient pain and goals. Primary care providers will be randomized at the clinic location to a control arm or intervention arm. The control arm will not be notified that the prescription transitions the patient to a new phase but will have access to the same patient pain scales and information. The intervention arm will receive a notification of the transition and suggest review of patient needs and encourage documentation. Opioid transition orders and outcomes of patients will be examined based on medical records data collected during routine care.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of clinical decision support (CDS) in the form of an alert to identify patients who may be at risk of opioid use disorder (OUD) and a clinical care pathway helping providers treating patients with opioid use disorder. The pathway provides health care providers with information and suggestions for screening and treatment of opioid use disorder, including treatment with medications. The 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids for pain recommends providers asses for and treat opioid use disorder using approved medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). This project will randomize primary care providers at the clinic level to a control arm or intervention arm. The control arm will have access to the clinical care pathway, but will not be reminded to utilize the pathway when treating a patient with opioid use disorder. The intervention arm will receive a reminder nudge about the pathway. Buprenorphine (a medication used to treat opioid use disorder) prescribing behavior of providers and outcomes of patients will be examined based on medical records data collected during routine care. The study period will be approximately 18 months.

The 2022 Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clinical practice guideline for prescribing opioids for pain recommends that when tapering a patient's opioid dose, doses should be decreased at a slow rate to reduce the risk of withdrawal symptoms, overdose, and to promote tolerance of the tapering. This project will evaluate a clinical decision support (CDS) tool in the form of a clinical care pathway that gives providers information, recommendations, and educational material on strategies for opioid tapering. Primary care providers will be randomized at the clinic location to a control arm or intervention arm. The control arm will have the clinical care pathway available, but will not be reminded of the pathway when tapering a patient. The intervention arm will receive a nudge when prescribing a tapering opioid strategy to a patient to use the clinical care pathway. The rate of opioid tapering in line with CDC guidelines will be examined as well as long-term patient outcomes of opioid overdose or poisoning using existing patient health records. The study period will be approximately 18 months.