Adolescent and Parent Perceptions of Postoperative Opioid Use: A Qualitative, Thematic Analysis

Little is known about how families make decisions regarding postoperative prescription opioid consumption. This qualitative study examines adolescent and parent perspectives on postoperative prescription opioid use.

We recruited adolescents aged 13-20 years old who received a postoperative opioid prescription and their parents from a previous longitudinal cohort study. We employed purposive sampling for recruitment to reflect local community sociodemographics including race/ethnicity, health literacy, and Spanish-language preference then conducted thematic analysis of focus group feedback.

Participants met in four virtual focus groups: adolescents from English-speaking households(n = 2), adolescents from Spanish-speaking households(n = 5), English-speaking parents(n = 4), and Spanish-speaking parents (n = 4). Five themes emerged: Parents (1) feared opioid use would result in overdose or addiction and (2) desired information about alternative medical and behavioral strategies to minimize use. (3) Parents felt empowered to manage their adolescent's opioid use and trusted their adolescent to prompt them for opioids. Adolescents trusted their parents to manage their opioid use but maintained their autonomy to limit opioid consumption when experiencing undesirable side effects. (4) Some adolescents and parents endorsed a preference for "not taking medication" in their households. (5) Both parents and adolescents reported previous knowledge of opioids prior to surgery, with adolescents learning more nuanced information about opioid safety after their surgeries.

Families feel empowered to manage their postoperative prescription opioid use but fear the negative effects of opioids and desire information on alternatives. Evidence-based, family-centric education from providers in a language preferred by the family could mitigate families' concerns and contribute to improved pain control and safety.

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