Assessing Patients' Risk for Opioid Use Disorder

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Pain Management
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Opioid use disorder (OUD) and opioid misuse are increasing rapidly in North America.
• Nurses are pivotal in managing pain for patients at risk of OUD.
• The intersection of pain and OUD presents opportunities for nurses to intervene across the care continuum.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review strategies for assessing opioid use disorder risk in patients with pain.
• To guide nurses in integrating these assessment strategies into daily practice.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature and best practices for OUD risk assessment in pain management.
• Identification of actionable strategies for nursing implementation.

Main Results:

• Nurses can effectively assess and manage patients with pain who are at risk for OUD.
• Specific nursing interventions can address urgent needs and support patients throughout their care journey.

Conclusions:

• Integrating OUD risk assessment into pain management enhances patient care.
• Proactive nursing strategies can contribute to reducing the incidence of opioid use disorder.