Educating surgical oncology providers on perioperative opioid use: A departmental survey 1 year after the intervention
Bradford J. Kim, Heather A. Lillemoe, Timothy E. Newhook, Whitney L. Dewhurst, Elsa M. Arvide, Matthew H. G. Katz, Thomas A. Aloia, Jean‐Nicolas Vauthey, Jeffrey E. Lee, Ching‐Wei D. Tzeng
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A department-wide opioid reduction education program resulted in a 1-month change in perceptions of opioid needs and prescribing recommendations for surgical oncology patients. This study's aim was to re-evaluate if early trends were retained 1 year later. METHODS: Surgical Oncology attendings, fellows, and advanced practice providers at a Comprehensive Cancer Center were surveyed 1-year after an August 2018 opioid reduction education program, to compare departmental and individual opioid prescribing habits. RESULTS: The September 2019 response rate was 54/93 (58%), with 41 completing both the post-education and 1-year follow-up surveys. The departmental and matched cohort continued to recommend a lower quantity of discharge opioids for all five index operations (by >50%) and expected less postoperative days to zero opioid needs, when compared to pre-education perceptions. Providers continued to agree that discharge opioid prescriptions should be based on a patient's last 24 hours of inpatient opioid use. There was universal agreement that each respondent's opioid administration had decreased in the past year. CONCLUSIONS: The initial 1-month improvements in perioperative opioid prescribing perceptions were retained 1 year later by Surgical Oncology providers who recommended fewer discharge opioids, faster weaning to zero opioids, and standardized patient-specific discharge opioid volume calculations.