Quality Improvement Initiative Leads to Significant Opioid Prescribing Reductions

By Jonathan Springston, Editor, Relias Media

Healthcare providers slashed opioid prescriptions by nearly 80% for children younger than age 18 years who had undergone appendectomy thanks to the implementation of prescribing standards.

At 10 children’s hospitals within the Western Pediatric Surgery Research Consortium, five did not routinely prescribe opioids after appendectomy procedures. At the other five facilities, practice varied by surgeon. Researchers worked with these hospitals on a quality improvement project to standardize prescribing habits and cut opioid prescriptions.

Investigators studied more than 1,500 children who underwent appendectomy between January and December 2019. They educated providers about the dangers of opioids, with an emphasis on over-the-counter alternatives (e.g., acetaminophen). The authors also engaged parents about managing pain after surgery.

After implementing the quality improvement project, researchers noted the percentage of children who went home with opioid prescriptions after appendectomy declined from 18.2% to 4%. On a scale of 0 to 5, the average pain management satisfaction score was 4.7.

The search for alternatives to opioids for pain management is ongoing, as patients continue to misuse or abuse these drugs. The January issue of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Reports contains a section on treating children who have overdosed on opioids.