# Strategies for Improving Prescription Opioid Use in Perioperative Pain Management

> **NIH ALLCDC R01** · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $619,154

## Abstract

PROJET SUMMARY
 Increased utilization of prescription opioids for pain management has led to a nationwide public health
crisis. In surgical settings, poorly coordinated pain management causes excessive opioid prescribing after
surgery, which promulgates a gateway for opioid diversion, misuse, and dependency. Patients on chronic
opioids before surgery present a special risk because they require higher opioid doses after surgery to achieve
adequate pain control. However, few evidence-based approaches are available for managing pain in patients
on chronic opioid therapy, particularly for those with postoperative pain. To address this gap, we developed a
Perioperative Pain Program (PPP) to coordinate the continuum of care for surgical patients on chronic opioid
therapy throughout the perioperative period. A multidisciplinary team, which included acute and chronic pain
specialists and psychiatrists with expertise in addiction medicine, partnered with patients through preoperative
consultation, postoperative inpatient hospitalization, and postoperative outpatient follow-up to develop
personalized multimodal pain management plans and treat underlying psychiatric, behavioral, and
psychological comorbidities. In the proposed project, we will evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of
the PPP. To evaluate the implementation, we will apply a mixed methods approach with a convergent parallel
design. Both quantitative and qualitative data will be collected and triangulated using different methods (chart
reviews, observations, interviews). To evaluate the effectiveness, we will apply a quasi-experimental
interrupted time series design comparing opioid prescription and patient self-reported outcomes (e.g., pain,
functionality) between patients participating in PPP and a control group. In addition, we will adapt an
educational program to improve patient engagement in the PPP. A pragmatic randomized trial will be done to
assess the impact of the adapted program on patient engagement, opioid prescription, and other patient self-
reported outcomes. This project focuses on prescription opioid use in perioperative pain management, which is
a critical public health problem with significant consequences and costs. It will provides empirical evidence on
the effectiveness of the PPP in preventing the overuse of prescription opioids and improving outcomes of
surgical patients, which can inform future efforts to improve medication use and safety.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10022284
- **Project number:** 5R01CE003150-02
- **Recipient organization:** JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Marie Hanna
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** ALLCDC
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $619,154
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2022-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10022284

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10022284, Strategies for Improving Prescription Opioid Use in Perioperative Pain Management (5R01CE003150-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10022284. Licensed CC0.

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