Project description:To address the ongoing opioid epidemic, there has been an increased focus on the treatment and evaluation of opioid use disorder (OUD). OUD and chronic pain (CP) frequently co-occur; however, little is known about the additional comorbidities that present when they occur together as compared to when either condition presents alone. Using data from Fiscal Year 2012 Veteran's Health Administration, all veterans diagnosed with both OUD + CP were compared to those diagnosed with OUD or CP alone on socioenvironmental characteristics, medical and mental health diagnoses, and Veterans Affairs (VA) clinical service use. Veterans with OUD + CP (n = 33,166), compared to those with OUD only (n = 12,517), had higher numbers of medical conditions. Compared to those with CP only (n = 2,015,368), veterans with OUD + CP had higher rates of homelessness and substance use diagnoses. Most mental health diagnoses, numbers of psychotropic medication fills, opioid prescriptions, and use of all other services were higher in the OUD + CP group than in either single disorder group. Multinomial regression analysis revealed stronger effects for medical disorders and medical-surgical outpatient service use in the comparison of OUD + CP with OUD only and stronger effects for substance use and mental health disorders and use of prescription opiates in the comparison with CP only. These findings suggest that concurrent OUD + CP imposes exceptional disease and clinical service burdens that likely require the development of simultaneous, integrated approaches to treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
Project description:BackgroundPatients with prescription opioid use disorder commonly report relief of chronic pain as the chief reason for first opioid use; indeed, the prevalence of chronic pain is high in this population. Understanding the association between pain severity and subsequent opioid use is crucial for understanding how to manage these conditions simultaneously and has not been examined in this population. The aim of this analysis was to examine the proximal effect of pain severity on opioid use during 12 weeks of buprenorphine-naloxone therapy for patients with chronic pain and prescription opioid use disorder.MethodsThis study is a secondary analysis of a national, randomized, controlled trial of buprenorphine-naloxone plus counseling for prescription opioid dependent patients. The association between past-week pain severity and opioid use in the subsequent week was examined in 148 patients presenting with chronic pain at baseline.ResultsResults from a multivariable logistic regression model showed that greater pain severity in a given week was significantly associated with increased odds of opioid use in the following week over the 12-week treatment, even after adjusting for covariates associated with opioid use (aOR=1.15, p<0.001).ConclusionsDespite previous reports of no association between baseline pain and subsequent opioid use, our findings suggest that patients who experience flare-ups of pain during treatment are prone to relapse to opioid use. Future studies may identify those who are at risk to use opioids by carefully monitoring patterns of their pain intensity over time.
Project description:IntroductionOpioid-sparing protocols reduce postpartum opioid prescribing in opioid-naïve patients; however, patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) and complex pain needs who may benefit from these protocols are typically excluded from them. We assessed postpartum pain experiences of patients with OUD and chronic prenatal opioid exposure after implementation of an opioid-sparing protocol.MethodsA phone survey assessed postpartum pain experiences for people with chronic prenatal opioid exposure who delivered between January 2020 and August 2021 at an academic hospital. Analyses included descriptive statistics, qualitative content analysis, and a joint display comparing themes.ResultsOf 25 patients, 18 (72%) participated; most were non-Hispanic White (100%, 18/18), publicly insured (78%, 14/18), multiparous (78%, 14/18), with OUD (100%, 18/18). No patients with a vaginal birth received an opioid prescription; half (4/8) with a cesarean birth received one at discharge. Over one-third (7/18, 39%) reported poor pain control (≥ 5/10) in the hospital and one week post-discharge; scores were higher for cesarean versus vaginal birth. Qualitative sub-analyses of open-ended responses revealed patient perceptions of postpartum pain and treatment. The most effective strategies, stratified by birth type and pain level, ranged from non-opioid medications for vaginal births and minor pain to prescription opioids for cesarean births and moderate-to-intense pain.DiscussionPostpartum opioid prescribing for patients with chronic prenatal opioid use was low for vaginal and cesarean birth following implementation of an opioid-sparing protocol. Patients with OUD reported good pain management with opioid-sparing pain regimens; however, many reported poorly controlled pain immediately postpartum. Future work should assess approaches to postpartum pain management that minimize the risks of opioid medication-particularly in at-risk groups.
Project description:BackgroundHistorically, marginalized patients were prescribed less opioid medication than affluent, white patients. However, because of persistent differential access to nonopioid pain treatments, this direction of disparity in opioid prescribing may have reversed.ObjectiveTo compare social disadvantage and health in patients with chronic pain who were managed with versus without chronic opioid therapy. It was hypothesized that patients routinely prescribed opioids would be more likely to live in socially disadvantaged communities and report worse health.DesignCross-sectional analysis of a retrospective cohort defined from medical records from 2000 to 2019.SettingSingle tertiary safety net medical center.PatientsAdult patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain who were managed longitudinally by a physiatric group practice from at least 2011 to 2015 (n = 1173), subgrouped by chronic (≥4 years) adherent opioid usage (n = 356) versus no chronic opioid usage (n = 817).InterventionNot applicable.Main outcome measuresThe primary outcome was the unadjusted between-group difference in social disadvantage, defined by living in the worst national quartile of the Area Deprivation Index (ADI). An adjusted effect size was also calculated using logistic regression, with age, sex, race, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference and Physical Function scores as covariates. Secondary outcomes included adjusted differences in health by chronic opioid use (measured by PROMIS).ResultsPatients managed with chronic opioid therapy were more likely to live in a zip code within the most socially disadvantaged national quartile (34.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 29.9-39.9%; vs. 24.9%; 95% CI 21.9-28.0%; P < .001), and social disadvantage was independently associated with chronic opioid use (odds ratio [OR] 1.01 per ADI percentile [1.01-1.02]). Opioid use was also associated with meaningfully worse PROMIS Depression (3.8 points [2.4-5.1]), Anxiety (3.0 [1.4-4.5]), and Pain Interference (2.6 [1.7-3.5]) scores.ConclusionsPatients prescribed chronic opioid treatment were more likely to live in socially disadvantaged neighborhoods, and chronic opioid use was independently associated with worse behavioral health. Improving access to multidisciplinary, nonopioid treatments for chronic pain may be key to successfully overcoming the opioid crisis.
Project description:The dramatic increase in opioid misuse, opioid use disorder (OUD), and opioid-related overdose deaths in the United States has led to public outcry, policy statements, and funding initiatives. Meanwhile, alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are a highly prevalent public health problem associated with considerable individual and societal costs. This study provides a critical review of alcohol and opioid misuse, including issues of prevalence, morbidity, and societal costs. We also review research on interactions between alcohol and opioid use, the influence of opioids and alcohol on AUD and OUD treatment outcomes, respectively, the role of pain in the co-use of alcohol and opioids, and treatment of comorbid OUD and AUD. Heavy drinking, opioid misuse, and chronic pain individually represent significant public health problems. Few studies have examined co-use of alcohol and opioids, but available data suggest that co-use is common and likely contributes to opioid overdose-related morbidity and mortality. Co-use of opioids and alcohol is related to worse outcomes in treatment for either substance. Finally, chronic pain frequently co-occurs with use (and co-use) of alcohol and opioids. Opioid use and alcohol use are also likely to complicate the treatment of chronic pain. Research on the interactions between alcohol and opioids, as well as treatment of the comorbid disorders is lacking. Currently, most alcohol research excludes patients with OUD and there is lack of measurement in both AUD and OUD research in relation to pain-related functioning. Research in those with chronic pain often assesses opioid use, but rarely assesses alcohol use or AUD. New research to examine the nexus of alcohol, opioids, and pain, as well as their treatment, is critically needed.
Project description:BackgroundThe intersection of pain, addiction and mental health has not been adequately described. We describe the roles of these three conditions in a chronic pain patient population using opioid analgesics. Aims were to improve our understanding of this population as well as to explore ways of identifying different types of patients.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study in a large integrated group medical practice in Washington State with persons using opioids chronically (n=704). Patient classes were derived with latent class analysis using factors representing DSM-IV opioid abuse and dependence, opioid misuse, pain, anxiety and depression. Regression analyses explored the utility of automated and interview data to distinguish the empirically derived patient groups.ResultsThree classes were identified: a Typical group, the substantial majority that had persistent, moderate mental health and pain symptoms; an Addictive Behaviors group with elevated mental health symptoms and opioid problems, but pain similar to the Typical class; and a Pain Dysfunction class with significantly higher pain interference as well as elevated mental health and opioid problems. Prescribed average daily dose of opioids was three times higher for those in the two atypical groups and was strongly associated with class membership after adjusting for other variables.ConclusionWe describe three distinct types of patient classes as well as data elements that could help identify the two atypical types. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and determine the utility of this approach in other clinical settings.
Project description:Given the severity of the ongoing opioid epidemic, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of risk for development and maintenance of opioid use disorder (OUD). The aim of the current large-scale psychophysiological investigation was to test whether patients with OUD had lower resting-state high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) than those without OUD, controlling for sociodemographic and clinical confounds. Additionally, we tested whether HF-HRV was associated with opioid craving in this population. Participants in this cross-sectional study were 490 chronic pain patients (50.4% female) treated with long-term opioid therapy. OUD diagnosis was determined by psychiatric interview. HF-HRV was measured at resting baseline. We computed the association between OUD and resting-state HF-HRV, controlling for age, gender, race, pain severity, emotional distress and opioid dose. Opioid craving was measured with visual analogue scales to assess whether HF-HRV was associated with craving. Results showed that resting HF-HRV was significantly lower for patients with OUD than for those without OUD (p < 0.001, d = 0.36), indicating deficits in autonomic flexibility. OUD diagnosis (p = 0.002) and OUD severity (p = 0.03) were associated with lower HF-HRV in regression models accounting for a range of confounders. Additionally, lower HF-HRV was significantly (but weakly) correlated with heightened opioid craving (r = -0.166, p < 0.001). Overall, findings suggest that resting-state HF-HRV may serve as a valid biomarker of addiction among people on long-term opioid therapy.
Project description:Background and objectivesPain scores are routinely reported in clinical practice, and we wanted to examine whether this routinely measured, patient-reported variable provides prognostic information, especially with regard to chronic opioid use, after taking preoperative and perioperative variables into account in a preoperative opioid user population.MethodsIn 32,874 preoperative opioid users undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty at Veterans Affairs hospitals between 2010 and 2015, we compared preoperative and perioperative characteristics in patients reporting lower versus higher acute pain (scores ?4/10 vs >4/10 averaged over days 1-3). We calculated the propensity for lower acute pain based on all available data. After 1:1 propensity score matching, to identify similar patients differing only in acute pain, we contrasted rates of chronic significant opioid use (mean >30 mg/d in morphine equivalents) beyond postoperative month 3, discharge prescriptions, and changes in postoperative versus preoperative dose categories. Sensitivity analysis examined associations with dose escalation.ResultsRates of chronic significant opioid use (21% overall) differed in patients with lower versus higher acute pain (36% vs 64% of the overall cohort). After propensity matching (total n = 20,926 patients) and adjusting for all significant factors, lower acute pain was associated with less chronic significant opioid use (rates 12% vs 16%), smaller discharge prescriptions (ie, supply <30 days and daily oral morphine equivalent <30 mg/d), and more reduction in dose, all P < 0.001. In sensitivity analysis, dose escalation was 15% less likely with lower acute pain (odds ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-0.91).ConclusionsAcute pain predicts chronic opioid use. Prospective studies of efforts to reduce acute pain, in terms of long-term effects, are needed.
Project description:OBJECTIVE:Risk for prescription opioid addiction is an endemic public health concern, especially for adults with chronic pain. This study examined craving as a mediator from pain to opioid use outcomes during prescription opioid addiction treatment and tested whether counseling in pain coping skills moderated the effects of craving on treatment outcomes. METHOD:Secondary analysis on a sample (N = 148) randomized to standard or enhanced counseling for 12 weeks with adjunct opioid maintenance medication. Multilevel analyses examined mediated effects between weekly pain, craving, and opioid use, and tested the interaction between craving and a counseling module on pain coping skills. RESULTS:Greater pain predicted greater craving (? = 0.25, p < .001), which predicted next-week opioid use (? = 0.17, p < .001). A statistically significant indirect effect of craving (? = 0.04, 95% CI [0.02, 0.06]) mediated 95% of the total effect from pain to opioid use. A significant interaction (b = -0.22, p < .01) revealed that after receiving the pain coping module, the association between craving and next-week opioid use was reduced, with greater exposure to the module associated with stronger effects (b = -0.12, p < .01). CONCLUSION:More severe pain predicts greater opioid use due to the association between pain and cravings. Pain coping skills counseling suppressed the association between cravings and opioid use. For adults with chronic pain receiving treatment for prescription opioid addiction, interventions that address cravings through behavioral pain coping skills may be crucial for achieving optimal treatment outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Project description:BackgroundOlder adults with chronic pain, opioid use, and opioid use disorder (OUD) present complex management decisions in primary care. Clinical tools are needed to improve care delivery. This study protocol describes the planned implementation and evaluation of I-COPE (Improving Chicago Older Adult Opioid and Pain Management through Patient-centered Clinical Decision Support and Project ECHO®) to improve care for this population.MethodsThis study uses a pragmatic, expanding cohort stepped-wedge design to assess the outcomes. The study will be implemented in 35 clinical sites across metropolitan Chicago for patients aged ≥ 65 with chronic pain, opioid use, or OUD who receive primary care at one of the clinics. I-COPE includes the integration of patient-reported data on symptoms and preferences, clinical decision support tools, and a shared decision-making tool into routine primary care for more effective management of chronic pain, opioid prescribing, and OUD in older adults. Primary care providers will be trained through web-based videos and an optional Project ECHO® course, entitled "Pain Management and OUD in Older Adults." The RE-AIM framework will be used to assess the I-COPE implementation. Effectiveness outcomes will include an increased variety of recommended pain treatments, decreased prescriptions of higher-risk pain treatments, and decreased patient pain scores. All outcomes will be evaluated 6 and 12 months after implementation. PCPs participating in Project ECHO® will be evaluated on changes in knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy using pre- and post-course surveys.DiscussionThis study will provide evidence about the effectiveness of collecting patient-reported data on symptoms and treatment preferences and providing clinical decision support and shared decision-making tools to improve management for older adults with chronic pain, opioid use, and OUD.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04878562 .