Brian K Yorkgitis1, Elizabeth Bryant2, Desiree Raygor3, Gabriel Brat4, Douglas S Smink5, Marie Crandall3. 1. Division of Acute Care Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida. Electronic address: Brian.yorkgitis2@jax.ufl.edu. 2. Brigham and Women's Hospital, Trauma, Burns, and Surgical Critical Care, Boston, Massachusetts. 3. Division of Acute Care Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, Florida. 4. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Acute Care Surgery, Boston, Massachusetts. 5. Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Opioid abuse and misuse is a public health crisis. A national effort to reduce this phenomenon is ongoing. Residents represent a large pool of opioid prescribers but, are often not the target for opioid prescribing education (OPE). We developed a survey to assess current opioid prescribing practices and education among surgical residents. STUDY DESIGN: An Institutional Review Board and Association of Program Directors in Surgery approved survey was electronically mailed to surgical program directors (PDs). The survey included questions regarding residency type, location, number of graduates per year, perceived value of OPE, residency policy on prescribing outpatients controlled substances, presence of OPE, and preferred method of OPE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 248 PDs were e-mailed the survey with 110 complete responses (44.4%). Of all 104 (94.5%) allow residents to prescribe outpatient opioids with 24 (23.1%) limiting the opioid class prescribed. A total of 29 (27.9%) programs require residents to obtain their own Drug Enforcement Administration registration. Only 22 (20.0%) programs had in place mandatory OPE, 7 (6.4%) PDs were unsure if OPE was a mandatory educational requirement. Furthermore, 70 (79.5%) of programs currently without OPE are considering adding it. Didactic lecture (18, 81.8%) is the most common modality for OPE. The mode time dedicated to OPE was 1 hour. When PDs were asked about which method would be best to deliver OPE, the most common response was case-based scenarios (39, 35.5%). Bivariate statistics were performed and no association was found between OPE and program characteristics'. CONCLUSIONS: Most surgical residency programs allow residents to prescribe outpatient opioids, very few require OPE. The most common method of OPE was didactic lectures. To enhance a resident's knowledge in prescribing opioids, programs should incorporate OPE into their curriculum.
BACKGROUND:Opioid abuse and misuse is a public health crisis. A national effort to reduce this phenomenon is ongoing. Residents represent a large pool of opioid prescribers but, are often not the target for opioid prescribing education (OPE). We developed a survey to assess current opioid prescribing practices and education among surgical residents. STUDY DESIGN: An Institutional Review Board and Association of Program Directors in Surgery approved survey was electronically mailed to surgical program directors (PDs). The survey included questions regarding residency type, location, number of graduates per year, perceived value of OPE, residency policy on prescribing outpatients controlled substances, presence of OPE, and preferred method of OPE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 248 PDs were e-mailed the survey with 110 complete responses (44.4%). Of all 104 (94.5%) allow residents to prescribe outpatient opioids with 24 (23.1%) limiting the opioid class prescribed. A total of 29 (27.9%) programs require residents to obtain their own Drug Enforcement Administration registration. Only 22 (20.0%) programs had in place mandatory OPE, 7 (6.4%) PDs were unsure if OPE was a mandatory educational requirement. Furthermore, 70 (79.5%) of programs currently without OPE are considering adding it. Didactic lecture (18, 81.8%) is the most common modality for OPE. The mode time dedicated to OPE was 1 hour. When PDs were asked about which method would be best to deliver OPE, the most common response was case-based scenarios (39, 35.5%). Bivariate statistics were performed and no association was found between OPE and program characteristics'. CONCLUSIONS: Most surgical residency programs allow residents to prescribe outpatient opioids, very few require OPE. The most common method of OPE was didactic lectures. To enhance a resident's knowledge in prescribing opioids, programs should incorporate OPE into their curriculum.
Authors: Jason D Young; Abhiram R Bhashyam; Robert L Parisien; Quirine Van der Vliet; Rameez A Qudsi; Jacky Fils; George S M Dyer Journal: J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev Date: 2020-05