Quality Improvement in Pain Medicine

Jordyn P Lucas; John D Cramer

doi:10.1016/j.otc.2020.05.020

Quality Improvement in Pain Medicine

Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2020 Oct;53(5):905-913. doi: 10.1016/j.otc.2020.05.020. Epub 2020 Jul 16.

Authors

Jordyn P Lucas¹, John D Cramer²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4201 St Antoine Street, UHC 5E, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
² Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4201 St Antoine Street, UHC 5E, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. Electronic address: jdcramer@med.wayne.edu.

PMID: 32684287
DOI: 10.1016/j.otc.2020.05.020

Abstract

In the last 30 years, pain control in the United States has undergone several evolutions impacting the care of surgical patients. More recently, safe pain control has been a subject of quality improvement efforts by otolaryngologists focusing on minimizing opioid consumption. This article discusses the rising overprescription of opioids, influenced by legislation and governmental agencies, and the steps taken to correct and reform policies to decrease the amount of opioids prescribed. Lastly, specific institutional examples of quality improvement protocols implemented to help decrease opioid consumption and prescription are discussed.

Keywords: HCHAPs; Joint commission; Multimodal analgesia; Opioid crisis; Overprescription.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Analgesics, Opioid / administration & dosage*
Analgesics, Opioid / adverse effects
Humans
Opioid Epidemic*
Opioid-Related Disorders / epidemiology
Pain Management
Pain, Postoperative / drug therapy*
Policy
Practice Patterns, Physicians'
Prescription Drug Overuse / prevention & control*
Quality Improvement / organization & administration*
United States

Substances

Analgesics, Opioid