Opioid Tapering After Hospital Discharge: Testing an Intervention to Improve Post-operative Opioid Prescribing

Plain-language summary

The investigator team proposes a randomized clinical trial (RCT) to test a discharge opioid taper support ("DOTS") intervention that is embedded in the providers' workflow in the EHR to prompt them to prescribe an opioid taper for patients after orthopedic surgery that is tailored to patients' expected analgesic needs. DOTS includes: 1) a recommendation for a patient-specific opioid taper schedule based on opioid use prior to discharge, 2) an automated discharge opioid prescription based on the recommended taper schedule that providers can override, 3) a patient facing handout and 4) post-discharge telephonic support for patients. Providers will be randomly assigned 1:1 to 2 groups and who will each be assigned to DOTS ("DOTS providers") or TS ("TS providers") in a step-wedge design. EHR data will be extracted and telephone surveys of 100 patients over 12 weeks will be conducted after hospital discharge. The two specific aims are: 1. To determine the effectiveness of DOTS for reducing excessive opioid prescribing after orthopedic surgery. Hypothesis 1: Patients discharged by DOTS providers will be prescribed a lower initial mean morphine equivalent daily dose (MMED), fewer opioid pills, and over 12 weeks, will have fewer subsequent opioid prescriptions and incident long-term opioid therapy, compared to patients discharged by non-DOTS providers. Hypothesis 2. Age and frailty will be moderators; DOTS will be more effective at reducing excessive prescribing to older (65 years and older) and frailer patients. 2. To determine the positive and negative impact of DOTS on patient outcomes. Hypothesis 3: Compared to patients of non-DOTS providers, patients of DOTS providers will have improved pain and function, fewer adverse events, and less emergency post-operative care. Hypothesis 4: Age and frailty will be moderators; DOTS will be more effective at improving positive and reducing negative outcomes in older and frailer patients.

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