Rating Opioid Use Disorder for Permanent Impairment

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11
Author(s):  
James B. Talmage
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Compliance ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Work Injury ◽  
Sixth Edition ◽  
Diagnostic And Statistical Manual ◽  
History Of

Abstract The duration of opioid therapy after surgery is the strongest known predictor of ultimate misuse, and researchers have reported that the number of days for which medication was prescribed and the total number of postoperative prescriptions each predicts long-term use. This article addresses the question of rating the impairment for an individual with no history of substance use disorder before a work injury, who is prescribed opioids for this injury, and who subsequently develops opioid use disorder (OUD). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, should be used in conjunction with the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, (AMA Guides), Sixth Edition. A person who is prescribed opioids is not yet at maximum medical improvement (MMI) and cannot be rated. Referral for substantiation of the diagnosis and for initiation of treatment are necessary before OUD is confirmed and the patient is at MMI. The AMA Guides is based on impairments of activities of daily living (ADL), so a patient's MMI should result in a happy outcome and no impairment, although the burden of treatment compliance may be a relevant consideration. The article concludes with an extensive literature review, including abstracts of published articles regarding OUD in various settings.

scholarly journals A Brief Screening Tool for Opioid Use Disorder: EMPOWER Study Expert Consensus Protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dokyoung S. You ◽  
Aram S. Mardian ◽  
Beth D. Darnall ◽  
Chwen-Yuen A. Chen ◽  
Korina De Bruyne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Screening Tool ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Consensus Protocol ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Treatment Pathways ◽  
Opioid Tapering

Growing concerns about the safety of long-term opioid therapy and its uncertain efficacy for non-cancer pain have led to relatively rapid opioid deprescribing in chronic pain patients who have been taking opioid for years. To date, empirically supported processes for safe and effective opioid tapering are lacking. Opioid tapering programs have shown high rates of dropouts and increases in patient distress and suicidal ideation. Therefore, safe strategies for opioid deprescribing that are more likely to succeed are urgently needed. In response to this demand, the EMPOWER study has been launched to examine the effectiveness of behavioral medicine strategies within the context of patient-centered opioid tapering in outpatient settings (https://empower.stanford.edu/). The EMPOWER protocol requires an efficient process for ensuring that collaborative opioid tapering would be offered to the most appropriate patients while identifying patients who should be offered alternate treatment pathways. As a first step, clinicians need a screening tool to identify patients with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and to assess for OUD severity. Because such a tool is not available, the study team composed of eight chronic pain and/or addiction experts has extended a validated screening instrument to develop a brief and novel consensus screening tool to identify OUD and assess for OUD severity for treatment stratification. Our screening tool has the potential to assist busy outpatient clinicians to assess OUD among patients receiving long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain.

scholarly journals COVID-19 outcomes among adult patients treated with long-term opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain in the USA: a retrospective cohort study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. e056436
Author(s):  
Wen-Jan Tuan ◽  
Hannah Spotts ◽  
Aleksandra E Zgierska ◽  
Robert P Lennon
Keyword(s):  
Retrospective Cohort ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Severe Infection ◽  
Healthcare Utilisation ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Research Database ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Increased Risk

ObjectivePatients treated with long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) are known to have compromised immune systems and respiratory function, both of which make them particularly susceptible to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The objective of this study was to assess the risk of developing severe clinical outcomes among COVID-19 non-cancer patients on LTOT, compared with those without LTOT.Design and data sourcesA retrospective cohort design using electronic health records in the TriNetX research database.Participants and setting418 216 adults diagnosed with COVID-19 in January–December 2020 from 51 US healthcare organisations: 9558 in the LTOT and 408 658 in the control cohort. They did not have cancer diagnoses; only a small proportion might have been treated with opioid maintenance for opioid use disorder.ResultsPatient on LTOT had a higher risk ratio (RR) than control patients to visit an emergency department (RR 2.04, 95% CI 1.93 to 2.16) and be hospitalised (RR 2.91, 95% CI 2.69 to 3.15). Once admitted, LTOT patients were more likely to require intensive care (RR 3.65, 95% CI 3.10 to 4.29), mechanical ventilation (RR 3.47, 95% CI 2.89 to 4.15) and vasopressor support (RR 5.28, 95% CI 3.70 to 7.53) and die within 30 days (RR 1.96, 95% CI 1.67 to 2.30). The LTOT group also showed increased risk (RRs from 2.06 to 3.98, all significant to 95% CI) of more-severe infection (eg, cough, dyspnoea, fever, hypoxaemia, thrombocytopaenia and acute respiratory distress syndrome). Statistically significant differences in several laboratory results and other vital signs appeared clinically negligible.ConclusionCOVID-19 patients on LTOT were at higher risk of increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare utilisation. Interventions to reduce the need for LTOT and to increase compliance with COVID-19 protective measures may improve outcomes and reduce healthcare cost in this population. Prospective studies need to confirm and refine these findings.

scholarly journals Prior National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) opioid use disorder trials as background and rationale for NIDA CTN-0100 “optimizing retention, duration and discontinuation strategies for opioid use disorder pharmacotherapy (RDD)”

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matisyahu Shulman ◽  
Roger Weiss ◽  
John Rotrosen ◽  
Patricia Novo ◽  
Elizabeth Costello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Extended Release ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Drug Abuse Treatment ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
National Drug ◽  
Retention In Treatment ◽  
Abuse Treatment

AbstractOpioid use disorder continues to be a significant problem in the United States and worldwide. Three medications—methadone, buprenorphine, and extended-release injectable naltrexone,— are efficacious for treating opioid use disorder (OUD). However, the utility of these medications is limited, in part due to poor rates of retention in treatment. In addition, minimum recovery milestones and other factors that influence when and whether individuals can safely discontinue medications are unknown. The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study “Optimizing Retention, Duration, and Discontinuation Strategies for Opioid Use Disorder Pharmacotherapy” (RDD; CTN-0100) will be among the largest clinical trials on treatment of OUD yet conducted, consisting of two phases, the Retention phase, and the Duration-Discontinuation phase. The Retention phase, open to patients initiating treatment, will test different doses and formulations of buprenorphine (standard dose sublingual, high dose sublingual, or extended-release injection), and a digital therapeutic app delivering contingency management and cognitive behavioral counseling on the primary outcome of retention in treatment. The Discontinuation phase, open to patients in stable remission from OUD and choosing to discontinue medication (including participants from the Retention phase or from the population of patients treated at the clinical site, referred by an outside prescriber or self-referred) will study different tapering strategies for buprenorphine (sublingual taper vs taper with injection buprenorphine), and a digital therapeutic app which provides resources to promote recovery, on the primary outcome of relapse-free discontinuation of medication. This paper describes how the RDD trial derives from two decades of research in the CTN. Initial trials (CTN-0001; CTN-0002; CTN-0003) focused on opioid detoxification, showing buprenorphine-naloxone was effective for detoxification, but that acute detoxification did not appear to be an effective treatment strategy. Trials on comparative effectiveness of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) (CTN-0027; CTN-0030; and CTN-0051) highlighted the problem of dropout from treatment and few trials defined retention on MOUD as the primary outcome. Long-term follow-up studies on those patient samples demonstrated the importance of long-term continuation of medication for many patients to sustain remission. Overall, these trials highlight the potential of a stable research infrastructure such as CTN to advance treatment effectiveness through a programmatic succession of large clinical trials.

scholarly journals Patient Experiences with the Transition to Telephone Counseling during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 663
Author(s):  
Augustine W. Kang ◽  
Mary Walton ◽  
Ariel Hoadley ◽  
Courtney DelaCuesta ◽  
Linda Hurley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Interrater Reliability ◽  
Telephone Counseling ◽  
Patient Experiences ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Therapeutic Experience ◽  
Perceived Impact

Background: To identify and document the treatment experiences among patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) in the context of the rapid move from in-person to telephone counseling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants (n = 237) completed a survey with open-ended questions that included the following domains: (1) satisfaction with telephone counseling, (2) perceived convenience, (3) changes to the therapeutic relationship, (4) perceived impact on substance use recovery, and (5) general feedback. Responses were coded using thematic analysis. Codes were subsequently organized into themes and subthemes (covering 98% of responses). Interrater reliability for coding of participants’ responses ranged from 0.89 to 0.95. Results: Overall, patients reported that telephone counseling improved the therapeutic experience. Specifically, 74% of respondents were coded as providing responses consistently indicating “positive valency”. “Positive valency” responses include: (1) feeling supported, (2) greater comfort and privacy, (3) increased access to counselors, and (4) resolved transportation barriers. Conversely, “negative valency” responses include: (1) impersonal experience and (2) reduced privacy. Conclusions: Telephone counseling presents its own set of challenges that should be investigated further to improve the quality of care and long-term patient outcomes.

scholarly journals Consensus-based approach to managing opioids, including opioid misuse and opioid use disorder, in patients with serious illness: protocol for a modified Delphi process

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e045402
Author(s):  
Caroline King ◽  
Robert Arnold ◽  
Emily Dao ◽  
Jennifer Kapo ◽  
Jane Liebschutz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Opioid Misuse ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Serious Illness ◽  
Modified Delphi ◽  
Delphi Approach ◽  
Institutional Review ◽  
Management Guidance

IntroductionManagement of opioid misuse and opioid use disorder (OUD) among individuals with serious illness is an important yet understudied issue. Palliative care clinicians caring for individuals with serious illness, many of whom may live for months or years, describe a complex tension between weighing the benefits of opioids, which are considered a cornerstone of pain management in serious illness, and serious opioid-related harms like opioid misuse and OUD. And yet, little literature exists to inform the management of opioid misuse and OUDs among individuals with serious illness. Our objective is to provide evidence-based management guidance to clinicians caring for individuals with serious illness who develop opioid misuse or OUD.Methods and analysisWe chose a modified Delphi approach, which is appropriate when empirical evidence is lacking and expert input must be used to shape clinical guidance. We sought to recruit 60 clinicians with expertise in palliative care, addiction or both to participate in this study. We created seven patient cases that capture important management challenges in individuals with serious illness prescribed opioid therapy. We used ExpertLens, an online platform for conducting modified Delphi panels. Participants completed three rounds of data collection. In round 1, they rated and commented on the appropriateness of management choices for cases. In round 2, participants reviewed and discussed their own and other participants’ round 1 numerical responses and comments. In round 3 (currently ongoing), participants again reviewed rounds 1 and 2, and are allowed to change their final numerical responses. We used ExpertLens to automatically identify whether there is consensus, or disagreement, among responses in panels. Only round 3 responses will be used to assess final consensus and disagreement.Ethics and disseminationThis project received ethical approval from the University of Pittsburgh’s Institutional Review Board (study 19110301) and the RAND Institutional Research Board (study 2020-0142). Guidance from this work will be disseminated through national stakeholder networks to gain buy-in and endorsement. This study will also form the basis of an implementation toolkit for clinicians caring for individuals with serious illness who are at risk of opioid misuse or OUD.

Perceived Benefits and Harms of Involuntary Civil Commitment for Opioid Use Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 718-734
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Evans ◽  
Calla Harrington ◽  
Robert Roose ◽  
Susan Lemere ◽  
David Buchanan
Keyword(s):  
Civil Commitment ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Treatment Access ◽  
Evidence Based Treatment ◽  
Ethics Framework ◽  
Vulnerable Patients ◽  
Underserved Patients ◽  
Legal Consequences

Involuntary civil commitment (ICC) to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) prevents imminent overdose, but also restricts autonomy and raises other ethical concerns. Using the Kass Public Health Ethics Framework, we identified ICC benefits and harms. Benefits include: protection of vulnerable, underserved patients; reduced legal consequences; resources for families; and “on-demand” treatment access. Harms include: stigmatizing and punitive experiences; heightened family conflict and social isolation; eroded patient self-determination; limited or no provision of OUD medications; and long-term overdose risk. To use ICC ethically, it should be recognized as comprising vulnerable patients worthy of added protections; be a last resort option; utilize consensual, humanizing processes; provide medications and other evidence-based-treatment; integrate with existing healthcare systems; and demonstrate effective outcomes before diffusion. ICC to OUD treatment carries significant potential harms that, if unaddressed, may outweigh its benefits. Findings can inform innovations for ensuring that ICC is used in an ethically responsible way.

scholarly journals Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement remediates anhedonia in chronic opioid use by enhancing neurophysiological responses during savoring of natural rewards

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Eric L. Garland ◽  
Spencer T. Fix ◽  
Justin P. Hudak ◽  
Edward M. Bernat ◽  
Yoshio Nakamura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Skin Conductance Level ◽  
Opioid Therapy ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Natural Reward ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Natural Rewards ◽  
Chronic Opioid Use ◽  
Opioid Users

Abstract Background Neuropsychopharmacologic effects of long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) in the context of chronic pain may result in subjective anhedonia coupled with decreased attention to natural rewards. Yet, there are no known efficacious treatments for anhedonia and reward deficits associated with chronic opioid use. Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE), a novel behavioral intervention combining training in mindfulness with savoring of natural rewards, may hold promise for treating anhedonia in LTOT. Methods Veterans receiving LTOT (N = 63) for chronic pain were randomized to 8 weeks of MORE or a supportive group (SG) psychotherapy control. Before and after the 8-week treatment groups, we assessed the effects of MORE on the late positive potential (LPP) of the electroencephalogram and skin conductance level (SCL) during viewing and up-regulating responses (i.e. savoring) to natural reward cues. We then examined whether these neurophysiological effects were associated with reductions in subjective anhedonia by 4-month follow-up. Results Patients treated with MORE demonstrated significantly increased LPP and SCL to natural reward cues and greater decreases in subjective anhedonia relative to those in the SG. The effect of MORE on reducing anhedonia was statistically mediated by increases in LPP response during savoring. Conclusions MORE enhances motivated attention to natural reward cues among chronic pain patients on LTOT, as evidenced by increased electrocortical and sympathetic nervous system responses. Given neurophysiological evidence of clinical target engagement, MORE may be an efficacious treatment for anhedonia among chronic opioid users, people with chronic pain, and those at risk for opioid use disorder.

scholarly journals Patient and Clinician Perspectives on Adolescent Opioid Use Disorder Treatment During a Pandemic: One Step Back, but Two Forward? (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel W Stull ◽  
Erin R McKnight ◽  
Andrea E Bonny
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
The Face ◽  
One Step ◽  
Clinician Perspectives ◽  
Receive Treatment

UNSTRUCTURED Opioid use disorder (OUD) is one of the most pressing public health problems in the United States and is highly prevalent among adolescents and young adults (AYAs). However, only a small percentage of AYAs with OUD ever receive treatment. Further, among those that do receive treatment, a substantial proportion of patients continue to struggle with OUD, and many prematurely drop out of treatment. These challenges have only been heightened in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, but greater utilization of telehealth and mobile technologies by OUD patients may help counter these barriers, which ultimately may improve AYA OUD treatment in the postpandemic period. This viewpoint presents the perspective of a person in OUD recovery using online and mobile technology to support his own OUD recovery combined with thoughts from two clinicians supporting AYAs with OUD. Their perspectives may provide insights to help counter COVID-19–related consequences and offer clues to improving AYA OUD treatment in the long term.

Demographic characteristics, medical and psychiatric history of patients with prescription opioid use disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S300-S301
Author(s):  
S. Herrera ◽  
A. Riquelme ◽  
T. León ◽  
M. Babul
Keyword(s):  
Opioid Analgesics ◽  
The United States ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Prescription Opioid ◽  
Psychiatric History ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
History Of ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
Prescription Opioid Misuse

IntroductionOver the past two decades the prescription of opioid analgesics has increased with a subsequent escalating in prescription opioid misuse. It is estimated that 4.5 million (2.5%) of the United States of America population abuse of pain relievers; opioids are among the most commonly.In Chile there are few reports about the prevalence of opioid use disorder.ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to describe the demographic characteristics, medical and psychiatric comorbidity of patients that suffer from opioid addiction.Patients and methodsThis transversal study examined data of 7 patients with opioid use disorder (OUD; DSM-5) that consulted at the addiction unit of “Red de Salud, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile”, between November 2013 and October 2015. Data included: demographics, medical and psychiatric history, laboratory and imaging tests.ResultsOf all the patients, 57% were men, 25 to 67 years of age, 43% between 35-40 years; 57% were married; 57% had completed studies at university. 43% had also alcohol use disorder, 28% marijuana, 28% cocaine and 28% benzodiazepines than in most cases began before OUD. In addition; 57% had medical comorbidity among which stand out obesity (17%), osteoarthritis (17%) and chronic low back pain (17%). Eighty-three percent require hospitalization. Twenty-eight percent had abnormal liver tests and one patient had positive hepatitis B core antibody. Opioids used were: morphine(14%), codeine (43%), tramadol (42%).ConclusionThese results emphasize on the misuse of prescription opioids analgesics, the complexity of patients with OUD and the prevalence of other substance use disorder that precedes and accompany OUD.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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