The rate of increase in opioid-related deaths in rural America has sounded the alarm calling for health interventions that address not only the drugs themselves, but counseling and behavioral therapies that provide a whole-patient approach.

An evidence-based treatment for substance abuse disorders, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), has been found to be a highly effective treatment option for individuals with opioid use disorders (OUD). Several studies have repeatedly demonstrated the efficacy of MAT at reducing illicit drug use and overdose deaths according to the Surgeon General’s 2016 report, Facing Addiction in America.

In an October 2017 CDC report, experts suggested two public health interventions for improving rural statistics: prevention activities such as using opioid prescribing education for chronic pain; and creating better access to evidence-based substance abuse treatment, including MAT.

The Great Plains QIN is working with stakeholders, healthcare providers and communities across the region to address the opioid crisis. Following are links to webinar recordings hosted by the Medication Safety Team that provide a variety of strategies aimed at opioid prescribing education for chronic pain.

Chronic Pain Management at a Family Medicine Residency Webinar and Coaching Call

Managing Chronic Pain Naturally Webinar and Coaching Call

Developing a State Pain Guidance Document: Creating a Task Force and Selecting Tools

 

Upcoming Webinar

A Statewide Pain Management Guidance Document: A Provider and Community Resource | 04/10/18 @ 11 a.m. CT

This webinar will review acute pain and chronic pain guidance and will discuss how to use a pain guidance document in practice. Differentiation of pain treatment recommendations as they relate to patient populations will be addressed as well as other resources and considerations for developing a pain guidance document.