Patients' Experience With Opioid Pain Medication After Discharge From Surgery: A Mixed-Methods Study

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Public Health
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Opioid epidemic mitigation strategies include reducing prescription opioid use.
• Vermont policies led to a 40% decrease in postoperative opioid prescribing.
• Optimal postoperative opioid prescribing practices require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess patient experiences with pain control one week after surgical discharge.
• To understand patient perceptions of prescribed opioid quantities.

Main Methods:

• Telephone questionnaires administered to 1027 patients post-surgery (2017-2019).
• Mixed-methods analysis of scaled responses on pain, opioid prescription, and usage.
• Qualitative content analysis of open-ended patient feedback on prescribed opioid amounts.

Main Results:

• 96% of patients reported adequate pain control one week post-discharge.
• Qualitative themes included: surplus medication, rationing, ineffectiveness, risk awareness, public health concerns, and use of prior prescriptions.
• Patients expressed a desire for more medication than used, fearing future access issues.

Conclusions:

• Postoperative pain control is generally effective, despite reduced opioid prescribing.
• Patients value having surplus medication and fear future access limitations.
• Incorporating patient perspectives is vital for surgical education and refining discharge protocols.