Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2025
12:20
Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device OPAD to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior
Published on: June 10, 2013
21.2K
The Upstate New York Surgical Quality Improvement Opioid Reduction Project
Elizabeth A Jacob1, Alexa D Melucci2, Ethan A Talbot1
1Department of Surgery, Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, USA.
The American Surgeon
|December 8, 2023
Summary
Standardizing postoperative opioid prescribing guidelines reduced opioid prescriptions by over 222,000 pills across 16 hospitals. This initiative offers a model for healthcare institutions serving diverse patient populations to combat prescription opioid abuse.
Area of Science:
- Health Policy
- Surgical Quality Improvement
- Pain Management
Background:
- Prescription opioid abuse affects over 5 million Americans, with initial exposure often occurring post-surgery.
- Existing opioid guidelines inadequately address challenges faced by healthcare institutions serving broad patient populations.
- Postoperative pain management presents a critical juncture for initiating opioid use and potential abuse.
Purpose of the Study:
- To standardize postoperative opioid prescribing recommendations among surgical providers within a collaborative network.
- To analyze the impact of standardized guidelines on opioid prescribing habits in a multi-institutional setting.
- To develop a scalable model for opioid stewardship in diverse healthcare environments.
Main Methods:
- The Upstate New York Surgical Quality Improvement (UNYSQI) collaborative engaged surgical champions from 16 hospitals.
- Standardized opioid prescribing guidelines were developed for 21 common surgical procedures.
- Guidelines were disseminated to all surgical care providers across participating institutions for implementation.
Main Results:
- Before implementation, 581,465 opioid pills were dispensed for 12,672 surgeries (avg. 45.9 pills/procedure).
- Post-implementation, 1,097,849 pills were dispensed for 28,772 surgeries (avg. 38.2 pills/procedure).
- A reduction of over 222,000 opioid pills was achieved following guideline implementation.
Conclusions:
- Standardized postoperative opioid prescribing guidelines can significantly reduce overall opioid pill dispensing.
- This collaborative approach demonstrates an effective strategy for improving opioid stewardship in diverse healthcare settings.
- The UNYSQI model offers a replicable framework for institutions aiming to mitigate prescription opioid misuse.
