Abstract
Background: The objective of this study was to assess current perceptions surrounding opioid prescribing in surgical oncology to inform perioperative quality improvement initiatives. Methods: After the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) approval, a survey was distributed to its membership. Five sample procedures were used to assess provider perceptions and prescribing habits. Data were summarized and compared by self-reported demographics. Results: One hundred and seventy-five participants completed the survey: 149 (85%) faculty, 24 (14%) trainees, and 2 (1%) advanced practice providers. Most participants (76%) practiced in academic programs and 21% practiced in non-US locations. Few differences were identified based on clinical role, academic rank, or practice years. Compared with non-US providers, US providers expected higher pain scores at discharge, recommended greater opioid prescriptions, and estimated more days of opioid use for almost every procedure. More non-US providers believed discharge opioids should not be distributed to patients who are opioid-free in their last 24 inpatient hours (80% vs 50%, P =.001). All providers ranked education as “very important” for reducing opioid prescriptions. Conclusions: Compared with their international counterparts, US surgical oncology providers expected greater opioid needs and recommended higher prescription numbers. Educating providers on multimodal opioid-sparing bundles, accelerated weaning protocols, and standardized discharge prescribing habits could have a positive impact the US opioid epidemic.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1066-1073 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of surgical oncology |
Volume | 122 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1 2020 |
Keywords
- cancer surgery
- education
- pain
- perioperative opioids
- quality improvement
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Oncology