Community Collaboration and Explainer Videos for Opioid Education
*Colleen Kerrigan
University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington, VT
OBJECTIVE
Spurred by the public health epidemic of opioid abuse along with new research demonstrating providers overestimate and overprescribe opioids patients require after surgery, Vermont has changed the way opioids for acute pain are prescribed. We collaborated with a local media production team to create three high quality explainer videos targeting surgical prescribers, non-prescriber support staff, and patients with the goal of summarizing recent research and changes. We hope to educate and effect culture change, and provide accessible resources to guide responsible, evidence based opioid prescribing practices in surgical practice.
DESIGN
Community education project.
SETTING
Surgical practices (including general surgery, urology, orthopedics, gynecology and vascular) at an academic hospital in northern New England.
PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS
Video content was designed by an attending physician, surgical resident and medical student in collaboration with a Health Marketing Specialist and local media production company. Final products are intended for direct distribution to surgical opioid prescribers, non-prescriber support staff and surgical patients.
INTERVENTION(S)
Creation and distribution of high quality explainer videos and practical opioid prescribing guidelines for acute pain to the surgical community.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)
Feedback from the three groups will be solicited to improve and update the videos over time. Eventual statewide distribution is planned with the potential to eventually contribute to national acute pain management guidelines.
RESULTS
Pending final video production.
CONCLUSIONS
The opioid epidemic is a national public health crisis. Vermont is actively addressing the local impact of this epidemic with new research and regulations concerning opioid prescription for acute pain. For maximal effectiveness, prescribers, non-prescriber support staff and patients need high quality, accessible education and practical resources.
