The Michigan Opioid Prescribing and Engagement Network (M-OPEN) was established in 2016 with the goal of reducing excessive opioid prescribing after surgery using evidence-based prescribing guidelines. Beginning in July 2016, M-OPEN began a statewide quality improvement campaign to educate providers and share prescribing best practices. This retrospective study examines the effect of these efforts on new persistent opioid use after surgery compared to other states where no such program existed using a difference-in-differences approach.
In the United States, surgical care has become a gateway for chronic opioid dependence and its associated morbidity. Between 5-10% of patients who receive opioids for postoperative pain control go on to develop long-term opioid use. This translates to more than 2 million previously opioid-naïve individuals developing chronic opioid use after surgery each year. Persistent opioid use after surgery is associated with increased readmissions, healthcare utilization, and healthcare expenditures. Critically, long-term opioid use increases the risk of overdose and death in patients who, prior to their surgery, had no exposure to opioids. Growing recognition of this problem has led to numerous efforts aimed at reducing opioid-associated morbidity after surgery. These include legislative limits on opioid prescribing for acute pain, procedure-specific prescribing guidelines based on patient-reported opioid use, and opioid-sparing pain management pathways. In Michigan specifically, the Michigan Opioid Prescribing and Engagement Network (M-OPEN) led a statewide quality improvement effort beginning in 2016 that focused on provider education using evidence-based opioid prescribing guidelines. Previously, these guidelines have been shown to significantly reduce excessive postoperative opioid prescribing across the state, however it is currently unknown whether these efforts have had any effect on the actual incidence of persistent opioid use after surgery. Therefore, the current study will evaluate the incidence of new persistent opioid use before and after the establishment of M-OPEN in Michigan. Beginning in 2016, a statewide quality improvement initiative was undertaken in Michigan to improve postoperative opioid prescribing. In order to accomplish this goal, this study will use a difference-in-differences approach to compare new persistent opioid use in Michigan before and after 2016 to other states where no such quality improvement effort existed.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
Retrospective analysis of opioid use after one of the following surgical procedure categories: laparoscopic cholecystectomy, laparoscopic appendectomy, minor hernia repair (including laparoscopic or open inguinal, femoral, umbilical, and epigastric hernia repair), open and laparoscopic ventral/incisional hernia repair, laparoscopic colectomy, open colectomy, vaginal hysterectomy, laparoscopic hysterectomy, and open abdominal hysterectomy.
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
The change in the incidence of new persistent opioid use before and after July 2016 in Michigan compared to all other states.
Among patients who undergo surgery, new persistent opioid use is defined as filling an opioid prescription in post-discharge days 4-90 and filling another opioid prescription in post-discharge days 91-180. This incidence will be measured from 1/1/13-6/30/16 (before M-OPEN established) and from 7/1/16-12/31/19 (after M-OPEN established) and the change before and after this date will be compared between Michigan and all other states (the difference-in-differences). Outcomes will be measured at 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years post-intervention.
Time frame: Postoperative days 4 to 180
The change in the incidence of new persistent opioid use before and after July 2016 in Michigan compared to Indiana and Wisconsin
Among patients who undergo surgery, new persistent opioid use is defined as filling an opioid prescription in post-discharge days 4-90 and filling another opioid prescription in post-discharge days 91-180. This incidence will be measured from 1/1/13-6/30/16 (before M-OPEN established) and from 7/1/16-12/31/19 (after M-OPEN established) and the change before and after this date will be compared between Michigan and Indiana/Wisconsin (the difference-in-differences). Outcomes will be measured at 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years post-intervention.
Time frame: Postoperative days 4 to 180
The change in the incidence of new persistent opioid use before and after July 2016 in Michigan compared to 11 other Midwest states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin).
Among patients who undergo surgery, new persistent opioid use is defined as filling an opioid prescription in post-discharge days 4-90 and filling another opioid prescription in post-discharge days 91-180. This incidence will be measured from 1/1/13-6/30/16 (before M-OPEN established) and from 7/1/16-12/31/19 (after M-OPEN established) and the change before and after this date will be compared between Michigan and 11 other Midwest states. Outcomes will be measured at 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years post-intervention.
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30,000
Time frame: Postoperative days 4 to 180