Open AccessGroup Health’s Initiative To Avert Opioid Misuse And Overdose Among Patients With Chronic Noncancer Pain
Author(s) -
Claire E. Trescott,
Randi Beck,
Michelle D. Seelig,
Michael R. Von Korff
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
health affairs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.837
H-Index - 178
eISSN - 2694-233X
pISSN - 0278-2715
DOI - 10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0759
Subject(s) - medicine , chronic pain , opioid , safer , opioid overdose , medical prescription , adverse effect , health care , opioid abuse , medical emergency , intensive care medicine , psychiatry , nursing , (+) naloxone , receptor , computer security , computer science , economics , economic growth
Increased opioid prescribing for chronic pain that is not due to cancer has been accompanied by large increases in abuse and overdose of prescription opioids. This paper describes how Group Health, a Seattle-based nonprofit health care system, implemented a major initiative to make opioid prescribing safer. In the initiative's first nine months, clinicians developed documented care plans for almost 6,000 patients receiving long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain. Evaluation of the initiative's effects on care processes and trends in adverse events is under way.