ty of life score was 4 on a 5-point scale.
Dr. Englesbe notes that fewer opioids are only one component of
the larger pain management strategy. The focus has to be on what
does work, which will not be the same for every patient.
"Just not giving opioids is not the answer — we have to give the
best pain care," says Dr. Englesbe. In the case of this study, the team
provided a full care pathway. "From the beginning, everyone was on
the same page with talking to patients about their pain and letting
them know that operations hurt," adds Dr. Englesbe.
He and his team are just getting started. They will expand their list
of selected surgical procedures from 6 to 18 and are working to
implement the strategy to other institutions across the state.
"Our overall goal is to have half the operations done in the state of
Michigan without patients needing opioids and still getting excellent
pain care," says Dr. Englesbe. "There are alternatives to opioids for
surgical pain that work well and we should be using them more."
OSM
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