An Opioid Prescribing Nudge

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
Analyze baseline concurrent opioid prescribing metrics at the individual prescriber level in the Duke Health System on the identified three main outcome measures. Test the impact of reports on opioid prescriber behaviors with the following primary measures: number of prescriptions with concurrent benzo within reporting period, number of prescriptions with concurrent muscle relaxants within reporting period, and number of encounters with naloxone prescriptions for patients with any opioid-related diagnosis within reporting period. Create a blueprint to implement the concurrent opioid prescribing nudge intervention in other settings.

Detailed Description
-----------------
The Concurrent Opioid Prescribing Nudge project intends to address multiple points within the opioid-use cycle through the development of standardized and scalable reporting mechanisms to provide social comparisons and feedback to physicians across the Duke Health System regarding their concurrent and co- opioid, benzodiazepines, and muscle relaxant prescribing practices. Concurrent are hereby defined as: writing a new opioid prescription for a patient with a benzodiazepine prescription within the last 3 months, writing a new benzodiazepine prescription for a patient with a opioid prescription within the last 3 months, writing a new muscle relaxant prescription for a patient with an opioid prescription within the last 3 months, writing a new opioid prescription for a patient with muscle relaxant prescription within the last 3 months, or writing a new prescription for both an opioid and benzodiazepine or opioid and muscle relaxant. The proposed project will leverage insights from behavioral economics to design informational and social incentives to reduce concurrent practices and mitigate opioid harm. Opioid prescribers (attending physicians, residents, and advanced practice providers) at participating departments and clinics in the Duke Health System will be randomized to a control or intervention arm. Over six month reporting periods beginning fall 2019, providers in the intervention arms will receive monthly reports with their individual prescribing patterns and comparison to peer prescribing patterns for the following measures: number of prescriptions with concurrent opioid active prescriptions of opioid/ benzodiazepines, number of prescriptions with concurrent opioid active prescriptions of opioid/muscle relaxants, and number of missed opportunities to prescribe naloxone to patients with any opioid-related diagnosis. The control arm will receive usual clinical education and feedback. Interventions will be implemented at participating departments and clinics utilizing a stepped-wedge timeline.

Official Title
-----------------
An Opioid Prescribing Nudge: Leveraging Behavioral Economics to Reduce Opioid Harms Within Health Systems

Conditions
-----------------
Opioid Use, Unspecified, Prescription Drug Abuse (Not Dependent), Prescription Drug Abuse and Dependency, Health Behavior, Benzodiazepine Abuse, Benzodiazepine Dependent

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Other: Automated Reports on prescription patterns for their patients


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: The primary population of focus for this study is: attending physicians residents advanced practice providers hereby referred to as opioid prescribers in Duke University Health System and may include these departments and clinics: Emergency Department Neurology, Pain Management Primary Care Psychiatry, Sleep Disorder Clinic Spine All opioid prescribers in these settings will be identified in partnership with Duke University Health System. Exclusion Criteria: Providers not identified above
Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Analyze baseline concurrent opioid prescribing metrics at the individual prescriber level in the Duke Health System on the identified three main outcome measures. Test the impact of reports on opioid prescriber behaviors with the following primary measures: number of prescriptions with concurrent or benzo within reporting period, number of prescriptions with concurrent muscle relaxants within reporting period, and number of encounters with naloxone prescriptions for patients with any opioid-related diagnosis within reporting period. Create a blueprint to implement the concurrent opioid prescribing nudge intervention in other settings.
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Intervention Arm- Automated Reports<br>Receives automated reports on prescription patterns monthly | Other: Automated Reports on prescription patterns for their patients<br>* de-identified aggregate reports<br>* Other names: prescribers' prescribing patterns;|
| No Intervention: Control Arm: Usual clinical education and feedback<br>Receive no reports | |

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Opioid prescribing habits | Using baseline concurrent opioid prescribing metrics obtained (at the individual prescriber level) during their initial month and month prior in the Duke Health System, measure changes in Opioid n prescription orders as measured by provider prescriptions | Baseline, 6 Months | 
| number of prescriptions with concurrent benzo within reporting period | Identify the number of prescriptions with concurrent benzo over 6 months | 6 Months | 
| number of prescriptions with concurrent muscle relaxants within reporting period | Identify the number of prescriptions with concurrent muscle relaxants over 6 months | 6 Months | 
| number of encounters with naloxone prescriptions for patients with any opioid-related diagnosis within reporting period | Identify the number of encounters with naloxone prescriptions for patients with any opioid-related diagnosis over 6 months | 6 Months | 

 Terms related to the study
=================
Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
-----------------
Opioids, Prescription, Patterns, Nudge, Practices