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- Title
Opioid-related Policies in New England Emergency Departments.
- Authors
Weiner, Scott G.; Raja, Ali S.; Bittner, Jane C.; Curtis, Kevin M.; Weimersheimer, Peter; Hasegawa, Kohei; Espinola, Janice A.; Camargo, Carlos A.; Choo, Esther K.
- Abstract
Objectives The opioid abuse and overdose epidemic in the United States has led to the need for new practice policies to guide clinicians. We describe implementation of opioid-related policies in emergency departments ( EDs) in New England to gauge progress and determine where further work is needed. Methods This study analyzed data from the 2015 National Emergency Department Inventory-New England survey. The survey queried directors of every ED ( n = 195) in the six New England states to determine the implementation of five specific policies related to opioid management. ED characteristics (e.g., annual visits, location, and admission rates) were also obtained and a multivariable analysis was conducted to identify ED characteristics independently associated with the number of opioid-related policies implemented. Results Overall, 169 EDs (87%) responded, with a >80% response rate in each state. Implementation of opioid-related policies varied as follows: 1) use of a screening tool for patients with suspected prescription opioid abuse potential ( n = 30, 18%), 2) access state prescription drug monitoring program ( PDMP) before prescribing opioids ( n = 132, 78%), 3) notify the primary opioid prescriber when prescribing opioids for ED patients with chronic pain ( n = 69, 41%), 4) refer patients with opioid abuse to recovery resources ( n = 117, 70%), and 5) prescribe naloxone to patients at risk of opioid overdose after ED discharge ( n = 19, 12%). EDs located in metropolitan areas and with at least one attending physician on duty 24/7 were less likely to implement opioid policies (incident rate ratio [ IRR] = 0.65, 95% confidence interval [ CI] = 0.48-0.89; and IRR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.6-1.0, respectively) while EDs with ≥15% hospitalization rate that used electronic computerized medication ordering and those in Rhode Island were more likely to implement opioid policies ( IRR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.03-1.48; IRR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.19-3.22; and IRR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.08-1.56, respectively). Conclusions The implementation of opioid-related policies varies among New England EDs. The presence of policies recommending use of screening tools and prescribing naloxone for at-risk patients was low, whereas those regarding utilization of the PDMP and referral of patients with opioid abuse to recovery resources were more common. These data provide important benchmarks for future evaluations and recommendations.
- Subjects
NEW England; UNITED States; SUBSTANCE abuse prevention; ANALGESICS; CONFIDENCE intervals; CONVALESCENCE; EMERGENCY medicine; EMERGENCY physicians; EPIDEMICS; FISHER exact test; HOSPITAL emergency services; MEDICAL needs assessment; MEDICAL protocols; METROPOLITAN areas; NARCOTICS; POLICY sciences; SURVEYS; DATA analysis; GOVERNMENT regulation; DRUG abusers; ELECTRONIC health records; KRUSKAL-Wallis Test
- Publication
Academic Emergency Medicine, 2016, Vol 23, Issue 9, p1086
- ISSN
1069-6563
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/acem.12992