There is a current opioid epidemic in the United States partially fueled by excess prescribing practices after surgery. The objective of this study is to decrease the amount of opioids needed after ambulatory hand surgery. In this randomized control trial, patients will be randomized into a patient education group and into a control group. The education group will be provided with a pre-operative video detailing proper indications for opioid use after hand surgery, alternative pain management strategies to try before using prescription opioid medications, and side effects associated with opioid use. Patients will also receive information on the current opioid epidemic. Patients will be reminded of the information given pre-operatively after surgery in the post-anesthesia care unit. The control group will not receive pre-operative education and will only receive standard of care post-operative counseling by nursing in the post-anesthesia care unit. All patients will be given a pain log, pain medication diary and participate in phone/email surveys to determine number of opioid pills taken, pain levels, and satisfaction with surgery. The investigators hypothesize that the education group will have decreased opioid intake and increased patient satisfaction compared to the control group.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
400
Patients in the active education group will be given information pre-operatively on the current opioid epidemic, alternative pain management strategies that should be tried before proceeding to prescription opioid use, appropriate indications for opioid use, and side effects of opioids.This information will be reinforced by the research coordinator and nursing staff in the post-anesthesia care unit.
Patients will receive standard of care post-operative counseling. They will not be given pre or post-operative opioid education.
Hospital for Special Surgery
New York, New York, United States
Number of prescription opioids used postoperatively
Time frame: Within 14 days of surgery
Patient satisfaction
This will be measured on a Likert scale, as used in most orthopedics research.
Time frame: Post-op day 3, 8, and 15
Pain level
Numeric Rating Scale pain scores
Time frame: Post-op day 3, 8, 15
Surgical factors
Type of surgery, length of surgery, type and amount of anesthesia
Time frame: Recorded on day of surgery
Pain Catastrophization Score
This validated scale is one of the most widely used instruments to evaluate catastrophic thinking related to pain. It specifically evaluates patients' feelings of helplessness and frequency of rumination on and magnification of pain.
Time frame: Measured pre-operatively
Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale Score
This validated scale assesses dispositional mindfulness and has been shown to tap a unique quality of consciousness that is associated with self-regulation and well-being constructs.
Time frame: Measured pre-operatively
Adverse reactions to pain medication
Side effects of opioid and non-opioid medications will be assessed
Time frame: Post-op day 3, 8, 15
Prescriptions filled and refilled
We will assess whether patients both initially filled and re-filled their opioid prescriptions
Time frame: Post-op day 3, 8, 15
Alternative analgesia used
We will identify if patients use any alternative pain management strategies (i.e., elevation, icing, breathing exercises, mediation, etc.)
Time frame: Post-op day 3, 8, 15
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