scholarly journals Curbing the Opioid Epidemic at Its Root: The Effect of Provider Discordance After Opioid Initiation

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Bobroske ◽  
Michael Freeman ◽  
Lawrence Huan ◽  
Anita Cattrell ◽  
Stefan Scholtes

Although medical research has addressed the clinical management of chronic opioid users, little is known about how operational interventions shortly after opioid initiation can impact a patient’s likelihood of long-term opioid use. Using a nationwide U.S. database of medical and pharmaceutical claims, we investigate the care delivery process at the most common entry point to opioid use: the primary care setting. For patients who return to primary care for a follow-up appointment within 30 days of opioid initiation, we ask who should revisit and potentially revise the opioid-based treatment plan: the initial prescriber (provider concordance) or an alternate clinician (provider discordance)? First, using a fully controlled logistic model, we find that provider discordance reduces the likelihood of long-term opioid use 12 months after opioid initiation by 31% (95% Confidence Interval: [18%, 43%]). Both the instrumental variable analysis technique and propensity-score matching (utilizing the minimum-bias estimator approach) account for omitted variable bias and indicate that this is a conservative estimate of the true causal effect. Second, looking at patient activities immediately after the follow-up appointment, we find that this long-term reduction is at least partially explained by an immediate reduction in opioids prescribed after the follow-up appointment. Third, the data suggest that the benefit associated with provider discordance remains significant regardless of whether the patient’s initial prescriber was their regular primary care provider or another clinician. Overall, our analysis indicates that systematic, operational changes in the early stages of managing new opioid patients may offer a promising, and hitherto overlooked, opportunity to curb the opioid epidemic. This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, healthcare management.

Author(s):  
Antoni Sisó-Almirall ◽  
Pilar Brito-Zerón ◽  
Laura Conangla Ferrín ◽  
Belchin Kostov ◽  
Anna Moragas Moreno ◽  
...  

Long COVID-19 may be defined as patients who, four weeks after the diagnosis of SARS-Cov-2 infection, continue to have signs and symptoms not explainable by other causes. The estimated frequency is around 10% and signs and symptoms may last for months. The main long-term manifestations observed in other coronaviruses (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)) are very similar to and have clear clinical parallels with SARS-CoV-2: mainly respiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuropsychiatric. The growing number of patients worldwide will have an impact on health systems. Therefore, the main objective of these clinical practice guidelines is to identify patients with signs and symptoms of long COVID-19 in primary care through a protocolized diagnostic process that studies possible etiologies and establishes an accurate differential diagnosis. The guidelines have been developed pragmatically by compiling the few studies published so far on long COVID-19, editorials and expert opinions, press releases, and the authors’ clinical experience. Patients with long COVID-19 should be managed using structured primary care visits based on the time from diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Based on the current limited evidence, disease management of long COVID-19 signs and symptoms will require a holistic, longitudinal follow up in primary care, multidisciplinary rehabilitation services, and the empowerment of affected patient groups.


2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 1241-1248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Louise A. Luttik ◽  
Tiny Jaarsma ◽  
Peter Paul van Geel ◽  
Maaike Brons ◽  
Hans L. Hillege ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 131 (6) ◽  
pp. 1805-1811
Author(s):  
Andrew I. Yang ◽  
Brendan J. McShane ◽  
Frederick L. Hitti ◽  
Sukhmeet K. Sandhu ◽  
H. Isaac Chen ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEFirst-line treatment for trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is pharmacological management using antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), e.g., carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OCBZ). Surgical intervention has been shown to be an effective and durable treatment for TN that is refractory to medical therapy. Despite the lack of evidence for efficacy in patients with TN, the authors hypothesized that patients with neuropathic facial pain are prescribed opioids at high rates, and that neurosurgical intervention may lead to a reduction in opioid use.METHODSThis is a retrospective study of patients with facial pain seen by a single neurosurgeon. All patients completed a survey on pain medications, medical comorbidities, prior interventions for facial pain, and a validated pain outcome tool (the Penn Facial Pain Scale). Patients subsequently undergoing neurosurgical intervention completed a survey at the 1-month follow-up in the office, in addition to telephone interviews using a standardized script between 1 and 6 years after intervention. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to predict opioid use.RESULTSThe study cohort consisted of 309 patients (70% Burchiel type 1 TN [TN1], 18% Burchiel type 2 [TN2], 6% atypical facial pain [AFP], and 6% TN secondary to multiple sclerosis [TN-MS]). At initial presentation, 20% of patients were taking opioids. Of these patients, 55% were receiving concurrent opioid therapy with CBZ/OCBZ, and 84% were receiving concurrent therapy with at least one type of AED. Facial pain diagnosis (for diagnoses other than TN1, odds ratio [OR] 2.5, p = 0.01) and facial pain intensity at its worst (for each unit increase, OR 1.4, p = 0.005) were predictors of opioid use at baseline. Neurosurgical intervention led to a reduction in opioid use to 8% at long-term follow-up (p < 0.01, Fisher’s exact test; n = 154). Diagnosis (for diagnoses other than TN1, OR 4.7, p = 0.002) and postintervention reduction in pain at its worst (for each unit reduction, OR 0.8, p < 10−3) were predictors of opioid use at long-term follow-up. On subgroup analysis, patients with TN1 demonstrated a decrease in opioid use to 5% at long-term follow-up (p < 0.05, Fisher’s exact test), whereas patients with non-TN1 facial pain did not. In the nonsurgical group, there was no statistically significant decrease in opioid use at long-term follow-up (n = 81).CONCLUSIONSIn spite of its high potential for abuse, opioid use, mostly as an adjunct to AEDs, is prevalent in patients with facial pain. Opportunities to curb opioid use in TN1 include earlier neurosurgical intervention.


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. E14-23
Author(s):  
Sophie Marcoux, MD, PhD Marcoux ◽  
Caroline Laverdière

Purpose: The majority of childhood cancer survivors suffer from late adverse effects after the completion of treatment. The prospect of most survivors reaching middle-age is a relatively new phenomenon, and the ways by which current and future primary care physicians (PCPs) will address this novel public health challenge are uncertain. Methods: A survey assessing knowledge level and information delivery preferences regarding long-term follow-up guidelines for adult patients having survived a childhood cancer was distributed by e-mail through the Quebec (Canada) national associations of PCPs and residents (n=238). Results: Participants reported an estimated average of 2.9 ± 1.9 cancer survivors in their yearly caseload, and only 35.3% recalled having provided services to at least one survivor in the last year. Most participants indicated ignoring validated follow-up guidelines for these patients (average score 1.66 on a Likert scale from “1—totally disagreeing” to “5—totally agreeing”). Scarce access to personalized follow-up guidelines and lack of clinical exposure to cancer survivors were identified as main obstacles in providing optimal care to these patients (respective averages of 1.66 and 1.84 on a Likert scale from “1— is a major obstacle” to “5—is not an obstacle at all”). Conclusion: The PCPs and residents rarely provide care for childhood cancer adult survivors. On an individual basis, there is a clear need for increased awareness, education and collaboration regarding long-term care of childhood cancer adult survivors during medical training. On a more global basis, structural, organizational and cultural changes are also needed to ensure adequate care transition.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii322-iii322
Author(s):  
David Noyd ◽  
Claire Howell ◽  
Kevin Oeffinger ◽  
Daniel Landi ◽  
Kristin Schroeder

Abstract BACKGROUND Pediatric neuro-oncology (PNO) survivors suffer long-term physical and neurocognitive morbidity. Comprehensive care addressing late effects of brain tumors and treatment in these patients is important. Clinical guidelines offer a framework for evaluating late effects, yet lack of extended follow-up is a significant barrier. The electronic health record (EHR) allows novel and impactful opportunities to construct, maintain, and leverage survivorship cohorts for health care delivery and as a platform for research. METHODS This survivorship cohort includes all PNO cases ≤18-years-old reported to the state-mandated cancer registry by our institution. Data mining of the EHR for exposures, demographic, and clinical data identified patients with lack of extended follow-up (&gt;1000 days since last visit). Explanatory variables included age, race/ethnicity, and language. Primary outcome included date of last clinic visit. RESULTS Between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2018, there were 324 PNO patients reported to our institutional registry with ongoing analysis to identify the specific survivorship cohort. Thirty patients died with an overall mortality of 9.3%. Two-hundred-and-sixteen patients were seen in PNO clinic, of which 18.5%% (n=40) did not receive extended follow-up. Patients without extended follow-up were an average of 3.5 years older up (p&lt;0.01); however, there was no significant difference in preferred language (p=0.97) or race/ethnicity (p=0.57). CONCLUSION Integration of EHR and cancer registry data represents a feasible, timely, and novel approach to construct a PNO survivorship cohort to identify and re-engage patients without extended follow-up. Future applications include analysis of exposures and complications during therapy on late effects outcomes.


Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelina Gronberg ◽  
Ingrid Henriksson ◽  
Arne Lindgren

Background: Establishing aphasia prevalence and outcome after ischemic stroke can facilitate strategies for treatment of aphasia. Few studies of aphasia recovery after ischemic stroke have included consecutive, unselected patients. Our aim was to identify acute and chronic prevalence of aphasia in an unselected consecutive cohort of patients with ischemic stroke. Methods: 218 patients with first-ever acute ischemic stroke were included prospectively and consecutively in the Lund Stroke Register Study. Patients with 1) dementia or psychiatric disorders; 2) non-native Swedish language; or 3) decreased consciousness were not included. Language assessment was made at baseline (within 6 days, median 3 days) after stroke onset by trained research nurses using the NIHSS sub-item 9, “Best Language” to screen for aphasia. Patients with aphasia (score of 1-3 on NIHSS item 9) were re-assessed with NIHSS item 9 by speech and language pathologists at 1 month, 3 months and 12 months after stroke. Results: Of 218 first-ever ischemic stroke patients 52 patients (24%) had aphasia according to NIHSS item 9 (median age 75 years; n=25 female). The distribution of the scores 1-3 at baseline were n=32, n=11, and n=9, respectively. At the 1 year follow-up, 31 patients (67%; n=5 deceased, n=1 drop out) had recovered from aphasia (n=28 with initial NIHSS item 9 score of 1, n=2 with initial NIHSS item 9 score of 2), even though all patients with initial global aphasia (NIHSS item 9 score of 3) had remaining aphasia (NIHSS item 9 score ≥ 1). Figure 1shows aphasia recovery (n=52) according to NIHSS item 9. Conclusions: A majority of patients with mild aphasia recover substantially from aphasia within 1 year after stroke. Patients with initial global aphasia all suffer from remaining aphasia 1 year after stroke. This suggests that this population might especially benefit from an early onset comprehensive, long-term aphasia treatment plan.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (02) ◽  
pp. 196-203
Author(s):  
Veeral N. Tolia ◽  
Kaashif A. Ahmad ◽  
Jack Jacob ◽  
Amy S. Kelleher ◽  
Nick McLane ◽  
...  

Objective To define the incidence of ophthalmologic morbidities in the first 2 years of life among infants diagnosed with stage 2 or higher retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Study Design We prospectively enrolled premature infants with stage 2 or higher ROP. The infants were followed up for 2 years, and we report on data collected from outpatient ophthalmology and primary care visits. Results We enrolled 323 infants who met inclusion criteria, of which 112 (35%) received treatment with laser surgery (90) or bevacizumab (22). Two-year follow-up was available for 292 (90%) of the cohort. The most common ophthalmologic conditions at follow-up were hyperopia (35%), astigmatism (30%), strabismus (21.9%), myopia (19.2%), anisometropia (12%), and amblyopia (12%). Severe ophthalmologic morbidities such as retinal detachment and cataracts were rare, but occurred in both treated and untreated infants. Overall, 22.6% of the infants were wearing glasses at 2 years, including 8.5% of the untreated infants. Conclusion Patients with stage 2 or higher ROP remain at significant risk for ophthalmological morbidity through 2 years of age. Infants with regression of subthreshold ROP who do not require treatment represent an underrecognized population at long-term ophthalmological risk. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01559571.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 52-52
Author(s):  
Lewis E. Foxhall

52 Background: An estimated 14 million cancer survivors live in the U.S., with up to 18 million expected by 2020. Methods: We established a partnership with three Texas family medicine training programs to provide interactive educational sessions focused on survivors’ needs for primary prevention and lifestyle counseling, surveillance and screening, and prevention of psychosocial and long-term effects. Surveys assessing resident and PCP knowledge, self-efficacy, and practices regarding survivorship care management were administered through REDCap in July 2016 and 2017. Results: Baseline response rates were 64% (60/94) and 59% (55/93) at follow-up. Compared to baseline, providers at follow-up were significantly more likely to report being “very confident” in their knowledge about: appropriate surveillance to detect recurrent breast cancer (5% vs 24%; p = 0.01); long-term physical effects of colon cancer and its treatment (8% vs 18%; p = 0.04); potential adverse psychosocial outcomes of colon cancer treatment (24% vs 44%; p = 0.01); appropriate screening for new primary breast (29% vs 61%; p < 0.001) and colon cancers (27% vs 51%; p = 0.01); and preventive lifestyle/behavioral counseling for breast (39% vs 59%; p = 0.03) and colon cancers (37% vs 59%; p = 0.01). Participants were also more likely to “strongly agree” that they have the skills necessary to: provide follow-up care related to the colon cancer and its treatment (10% vs 28%; p = 0.02); initiate appropriate screening for other new primary cancers for breast (28% vs 56%; p < 0.01) and colon cancer survivors (28% vs 58%; p < 0.01); and conduct lifestyle/behavioral counseling to prevent cancer for breast (33% vs 53%; p = 0.03) and colon cancer survivors (34% vs 55%; p = 0.02). Conclusions: Preliminary results suggest our project has improved provider knowledge, self-efficacy, and practices regarding survivorship care management, with the highest levels in areas pertaining to screening and prevention. We aim to continue this trajectory of improvement in subsequent project years and disseminate the project to other primary care training sites in Texas and beyond.


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