Integrated Primary Healthcare Opioid Tapering Interventions: A Mixed-Methods Study of Feasibility and Acceptability in Two General Practices in New South Wales, Australia.

White, Ruth; Hayes, Chris; Boyes, Allison W.; Paul, Christine L.

Title: Integrated Primary Healthcare Opioid Tapering Interventions: A Mixed-Methods Study of Feasibility and Acceptability in Two General Practices in New South Wales, Australia.
Creator: White, Ruth; Hayes, Chris; Boyes, Allison W.; Paul, Christine L.
Relation: NHMRC.APP1073317 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1073317
Relation: International journal of integrated care Vol. 20, Issue 4, no. 6
Publisher Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/ijic.5426
Publisher: Ubiquity Press
Resource Type: journal article
Date: 2020
Description: Introduction: Integrated team-based primary healthcare is well positioned to support opioid tapering for patients experiencing chronic pain. This paper describes the development, implementation and acceptability of a primary healthcare opioid tapering intervention ‘Assess Inform Manage Monitor’ (AIMM) at two sites. Methods: AIMM involved GP advice; nurse monitoring and potential engagement with: community pharmacist; psychologist; dietitian and exercise physiologist. Individuals receiving 90 days or more of prescription opioids were eligible. Patient and provider surveys and qualitative interviews were completed. Results: Of 140 eligible patients, 37 attended during the study period and were invited to participate. Patient post-intervention surveys (n = 8) and interviews (n = 6) indicated the intervention was acceptable, although the perceived value of some of the integrated team was low. GP and practice nurse support was valued. Providers (n = 4) valued team integration. Low weaning readiness was a barrier to engagement by patients and providers. Key lessons and conclusions: The intervention, whilst conceptually acceptable, was not feasible in its current form. Future efforts to transition patients towards integrated care should retain the practice nurse and place more focus on understanding and reinforcing patients’ readiness to wean. Greater inter-professional collaboration may also be needed. Such refinements may advance the cause of opioid reduction in primary care.
Subject: integrated-care; opioids; chronic-pain; case-study; primary healthcare; deprescribing
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1441934
Identifier: uon:41580
Identifier: ISSN:1568-4156
Language: eng
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