Managing Opioids, Including Misuse and Addiction, in Patients With Serious Illness in Ambulatory Palliative Care: A Qualitative Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Pain and opioid management are core ambulatory palliative care skills. Existing literature on how to manage opioid misuse/use disorder excludes patients found in palliative care settings, such as individuals with serious illness or those at the end of life.

Objectives

We conducted an exploratory study to: (1) Identify the challenges palliative care clinicians face when prescribing opioids in ambulatory settings and (2) explore factors that affect opioid decision-making.

Methods

We recruited palliative care clinicians who prescribe opioids in ambulatory settings, which included open-ended questions and was conducted online. Results were analyzed qualitatively using a content analysis-based approach.

Results

Eighty-three palliative care clinicians (mos

SUBMITTER: Merlin JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11537246 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature