# Prevention of Opioid Use Disorder After Surgery:  A Pilot and Feasibility Study

> **NIH NIH R34** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2020 · $402,750

## Abstract

The United States is in the midst of an opioid use crisis, including a disturbing rise in deaths from opioid
overdoses and devastating personal and societal effects of opioid use disorder (OUD). OUD often starts with
prescription opioid use, such as for the treatment of moderate to severe pain in post-operative patients.
Previous studies have shown that a substantial number of patients who receive opioids for common surgical
procedures develop persistent opioid use, a necessary first step towards OUD and its sequelae. A balanced
approach to postoperative pain management for surgical patients is urgently needed to prevent persistent post-
operative opioid use before it develops, thus helping to stem the tide of the opioid use crisis while still
managing patients’ pain.
The objective of this study is to design and pilot test the feasibility of a Multi-faceted persistent Opioid use
Prevention Program (MOPP) to support safer opioid prescribing, self-administration and monitoring, and
reduce persistent opioid use and opioid misuse for patients transitioning to the community setting after major
orthopedic surgery. The multi-faceted intervention includes: 1) pharmacist-led discharge counseling of patients
and caregivers and communication with post-discharge providers; 2) standardized opioid prescribing discharge
order sets for each surgery type; 3) a post-discharge pain management follow-up visit (with additional contact
as needed) embedded within routine post-operative care for managing pain and opioid use; and 4) a patient
engagement pain management app for assessing pain, function, and possible development of OUD. These
components have shown promise in prior studies of chronic opioid use but have not been previously
implemented or evaluated in combination in this population with a goal of preventing persistent opioid use. The
design of MOPP and its implementation will be continuously guided by a patient-family advisory council and
diverse stakeholder steering committee and interdisciplinary working group. The primary outcome of the
intervention will be persistent opioid use (in the 6 months after surgery) based on state-wide prescription data.
Secondary outcomes will include long-term opioid episodes; morphine-equivalent dose of opioids prescribed at
discharge; total post-operative opioids dispensed in the 6 months after surgery; self-reported pain, function,
and signs or symptoms suggestive of opioid misuse 90 and 180 days after surgery; and post-operative
healthcare utilization. We will measure intervention fidelity and use the Consolidated Framework for
Implementation Research (CFIR) to guide qualitative interviews of patients, caregivers, and providers to
identify barriers and facilitators of implementation. These approaches will help improve the implementation
plan and provide lessons learned for future implementation efforts. The proposed study will provide valuable
preliminary data to inform the development of a larger study to design, impleme...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10056744
- **Project number:** 1R34DA048268-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Jeffrey Lawrence Schnipper
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $402,750
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10056744

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10056744, Prevention of Opioid Use Disorder After Surgery:  A Pilot and Feasibility Study (1R34DA048268-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10056744. Licensed CC0.

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