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The Central Oregon Pain Standards Task Force formally adopted the Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) Acute Pain Guidelines in March 2019. OHA’s guidelines are aimed at patients who are new to opioids, receiving care from dentists, those in emergency room and urgent care settings, primary care physicians, as well as individuals in post procedure/surgical care. They are not intended for patients who are currently taking opioids or for those with a history of substance use disorder.
Opioids are commonly prescribed after both minor and major surgeries for pain management, and many patients receive their first exposure to opioids following surgery.
“One of the causes of the opioid epidemic is opioid-naïve patients getting exposed to opioids, struggling to stop them postoperatively and then moving on to chronic opioid use,” says Kim Swanson, Ph.D., chair of the Pain Standards Task Force.
Studies indicate that up to 92 percent of patients have leftover opioids after having common surgeries. Because of this, hospital systems across the country are revamping how they approach pain management for surgical patients by using a more thoughtful approach and relying on more non-opioid pain management strategies that patients report effectively manage their surgical pain.
“Operations hurt, but just giving opioids is not the answer – we have to give the best pain care. There are alternative treatments to opioids that work well, provide patients excellent pain care for procedures and surgeries and satisfy patients. We should be using them more,” said Dr. Michael Woll, MD, medical director of Surgical ICU, St. Charles Medical Center.
The task force will convene local surgical providers and their staff during an acute pain educational event on October 3, where attendees will learn how to adopt the new standards, become more aware of the risks to patients and be introduced to other forms of acute pain management treatments that are just as effective and safer. The event will feature a presentation by Dr. David Parsons, MD, director of operations for Hospital Services, regional chief medical officer and a member of the Northwest Permanente Senior Operations Team.
Participating organizations include:
- Advantage Dental
- Best Care Treatment Services
- Central Oregon Health Council
- Central Oregon Independent Practice Association
- Crook County Health Department
- Deschutes County Health Services
- Hawthorn Healing Arts Center
- La Pine Community Health Center
- Mosaic Medical
- PacificSource Community Solutions
- Rebound Physical Therapy
- Charles Health System
- Central Oregon Veterans Administration
acuteprescribing.eventbrite.com
