A review of trial and real-world data applying a realist approach to identify behavioural mechanisms supporting practitioners to taper opioids

This realist enquiry applying behavioural theory aimed to identify behavioural mechanisms and contexts that facilitate prescribers tapering opioids. We identified relevant opioid tapering interventions and services from a 2018 international systematic review and a 2019 England-wide survey, respectively. Interventions and services were eligible if they provided information about contexts and/or behavioural mechanisms influencing opioid tapering success. A stakeholder group (n=23) generated draft programme theories based around the 14 domains of the theoretical domains framework. We refined these using the trial and service data. From 71 articles and 21 survey responses, 56 and 16 respectively were included, representing primary care, hospital, specialist pain facilities and prison services. We identified six programme theories that included five behavioural mechanisms: prescribers’ knowledge about how to taper; build prescribers’ beliefs about capabilities to initiate tapering discussions and manage psychological consequences of tapering; perceived professional role in tapering; the environmental context enabling referral to specialists; and facilitating positive social influence by aligning patient: prescriber expectations of tapering. No interventions are addressing all six mechanisms supportive of tapering. Work is required to operationalise programme theories according to organisational structures and resources. An example operationalisation is combining tapering guidelines with information about local excess opioid problems and endorsing these with organisational branding. Prescribers being given the skills and confidence to initiate tapering discussions by training them in cognitive-based interventions and incorporating access to psychological and physical support in the patient pathway. Patients being provided with leaflets about the tapering process and informed about the patient pathway.

Tapering Chronic Opioid Medications: A Human Factors Approach to Building a Provider-Facing App

Approximately 25.3 million adults in the U.S. take prescription opioid medication to provide relief from their daily pain. Over-prescription of these medications has contributed to the opioid epidemic in the U.S. Many patient desire tapering opioids. However, guidelines of opioid tapering are complex and difficult to translate into practice at the point of care. Our research used human factors methods, including participatory ergonomics, task analysis, interviews, and usability testing to design a provider app to aid safe opioid tapering. We present preliminary prototypes of our app that is currently being deployed across a large 10-hospital healthcare system in the mid-Atlantic region. Our app will be integrated into the electronic health record and comprises five sections: Patient Context, Taper Settings, Create Taper Plan, Withdrawal and Non-opioid Pain Plan, and Summary Dashboard.

Engagement in Prescription Opioid Tapering Research: the EMPOWER Study and a Coproduction Model of Success

Patients with chronic pain experience stigma within the healthcare system. This stigma is compounded for those taking long-term prescription opioids. Often, public messaging and organizational policies have telegraphed that opioid treatment is a problem to be solved by focusing only on medication reduction efforts. Lack of data has contributed to misperceptions and poor opioid policies. In part, data collection remains poor because patients feel fractured from systems of care and are often not interested in engaging with opioid reduction mandates and research. Similarly, clinicians may fail to engage with opioid stewardship and research due to complexities that exceed their training or capacities. The EMPOWER study applies a coproduction model that engages researchers, patients, clinicians, managers, and other health system users. Key stakeholders shaped the design of the study to best ensure acceptability and engagement of the “end users”—patients who enroll in the study and the clinicians who implement the opioid tapers. Targeting the needs of any stakeholder group in isolation is suboptimal. Accordingly, we detail the EMPOWER patient-centered opioid tapering clinical research framework and specific strategies to address stakeholder concerns. We also discuss how this framework may be applied to enhance engagement in healthcare research broadly.

Tapering of prescribed opioids in patients with long-term non-malignant pain (TOPIO)—efficacy and effects on pain, pain cognitions, and quality of life: a study protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial with a 12-month follow-up

Background Opioids are still widely prescribed to long-term pain patients although they are no longer recommended for long-term treatments due to poor evidence for long-term efficacy, risks of serious side effects, and the possibility of inducing opioid hyperalgesia. In a Cochrane study from 2017, the authors identified an urgent need for more randomized controlled trials investigating the efficiency and effects of opioid tapering. The study aimed to assess (1) the efficiency of a structured intervention in causing stable reductions of opioid consumption in a population with long-term non-malignant pain and (2) effects on pain, pain cognitions, physical and mental health, quality of life, and functioning in response to opioid tapering. Methods The study is a randomized controlled trial. The sample size was set to a total of 140 individuals after estimation of power and dropout. Participants will be recruited from a population with long-term non-malignant pain who will be randomly allocated to (1) the start of tapering immediately or (2) the control group who return to usual care and will commence tapering of opioids 4 months later. A 12-month follow-up is included. When all follow-ups are closed, data from the Swedish drug register of the National Board of Health and Welfare will be collected and individual mean daily opioid dose in morphine equivalents will be calculated at three time points: baseline, 4 months, and 12 months after the start of the intervention. At the same time points, participants fill out the following questionnaires: Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ-8), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and RAND-36. At baseline and follow-up, a clinical assessment of opioid use disorder is performed. Discussion A better understanding of the efficiency and effects of opioid tapering could possibly facilitate attempts to taper opioid treatments, which might prove beneficial for both the individual and society. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03485430. Retrospectively registered on 26 March 2018, first release date. “Tapering of Long-term Opioid Therapy in Chronic Pain Population. RCT with 12 Months Follow up (TOPIO).” First patient in trial 22 March 2018.

Role of Rehabilitation in Opioid Tapering: A Scoping Review

Purpose: Among industrialized countries, Canada has the second-highest opioid prescribing rate for pain management. Physiotherapy and occupational therapy interventions are potential non-pharmacological alternatives. We undertook a scoping review to explore and summarize the current evidence describing the interventions included or used in physiotherapy and occupational therapy in opioid tapering for individuals with chronic pain. Method: A systematic search of the peer-reviewed health databases was conducted, with data synthesis guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review methodology. Articles were included in the narrative synthesis if (1) interventions within the scope of practice for physiotherapists or occupational therapists were described or these professionals were part of interdisciplinary care and (2) opioid tapering or reduction was addressed. Results: The 39 articles identified included 2 systematic reviews, 9 narrative reviews or commentaries, 2 case reports, 11 uncontrolled cohort studies, 1 cross-sectional study, 5 randomized controlled trials, 4 programme evaluations, and 4 qualitative studies. Of the 28 studies reporting specific outcomes, 25 reported positive outcomes of rehabilitation interventions for opioid tapering. There was greater representation of interventions from physiotherapy than from occupational therapy: few articles contained substantive descriptions (e.g., dosage and duration). Conclusions: The evidence to guide therapists in supporting opioid tapering for people with chronic pain seems to be limited. Further research is needed to establish effectiveness for stand-alone interventions and as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation approach.

mHealth Interventions to Support Prescription Opioid Tapering in Patients With Chronic Pain: Qualitative Study of Patients’ Perspectives

Background Patients with chronic pain who are tapering prescription opioids report a need for greater support for coping with symptoms of pain and withdrawal. Mobile health (mHealth) technologies (SMS text messaging– or app-based) have the potential to provide patients with educational, emotional, and motivational support for opioid tapering beyond what is offered by their health care provider. However, it is not known whether patients with chronic pain who are tapering opioids would be willing or able to engage with technology-based support. Objective This study aims to examine patients’ use of mobile technologies in health care, interest in using mHealth support, preferences for the form and content of mHealth support, and potential barriers to and facilitators of engagement with mHealth support for opioid tapering. Methods A total of 21 patients (11 women and 10 men; age range 29-83 years) with chronic noncancer pain on long-term opioid therapy who had recently initiated a voluntary opioid taper were recruited from primary and tertiary care clinics in metropolitan and regional Australia for a larger study of patients’ experiences of opioid tapering. Participants had been taking prescription opioids for a mean duration of 13 (SD 9.6; range 0.25-30) years at the time of the study. Survey items characterized participants’ typical mobile phone use and level of interest in mobile technology–based support for opioid tapering. Semistructured interviews further explored patients’ use of mobile technologies and their interest in, preferences for, and perspectives on potential barriers to and facilitators of engagement with mHealth support for opioid tapering. Two researchers collaborated to conduct a thematic analysis of the interview data. Results All participants reported owning and using a mobile phone, and most (17/21, 81%) participants reported using mobile apps. The majority of participants expressed interest in SMS text messaging–based (17/21, 81%) and app-based (15/21, 71%) support for opioid tapering. Participants expected that messages delivering both informational and socioemotional support would be helpful. Participants expected that access to technology, mobile reception, internet connectivity, vision impairment, and low self-efficacy for using apps may be barriers to user engagement. Patients expected that continuity of care from their health care provider, flexible message dosing, responsivity, and familiarity with pain self-management strategies would increase user engagement. Conclusions The results of this study indicate that patients with chronic noncancer pain may be willing to engage with SMS text messaging–based and app-based mHealth interventions to support opioid tapering. However, the feasibility and acceptability of these interventions may depend on how patients’ preferences for functionality, content, and design are addressed.