Evaluation of an Alternatives to Opioids Acute Pain Order Set in the Emergency Department Stephany Nunez Cruz, Matthew McAllister, Jamie Crossman Columbus Regional Health - Columbus, GA
Background/Purpose: The opioid epidemic is an ongoing issue in the United States (U.S.) with over 42,000 deaths involving opioids in 2016. In Georgia, the total number of opioid-involved deaths increased by 117% from 2010 to 2016. In an effort to fight the opioid crisis, an acute pain order set with alternatives to opioids was created and implemented in the emergency department (ED) of Midtown Medical Center (MMC) in Columbus, GA. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the impact of this order set on opioid prescribing within the ED and upon discharge.
Methodology: An IRB approved retrospective chart review of 500 patients discharged from MMC ED during two independent two-week time periods, before and after the implementation of an alternatives to opioids acute pain order set. Patient charts were assessed for chief complaint, administration of an opioid while in the ED, and if an opioid was prescribed upon discharge. The primary outcome assessed was difference in the percentage of opioid prescriptions written within the ED and upon discharge from the ED prior to and after the implementation of the order set. The secondary outcomes evaluated were the difference in the amount of morphine milligram equivalents (MME) prescribed within the ED per patient and the average total MME prescribed upon discharge per patient prior to and after the implementation of the order set.
Presentation Objective: Upon completion of the presentation, the audience should be able to describe the impact that an alternative to opioids acute pain order set has on the prescribing of opioids within the ED and upon discharge from the ED.
Self-Assessment: Did the implementation of an acute pain order set with alternatives to opioids reduce prescribing of opioids within the ED and upon discharge from the ED?
