Can Simplified and More Detailed Instructions Affect Post-Operative Narcotic Consumption

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Trial end date: 2024-09-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

This project intends to investigate whether (1) a patient-maintained opioid diary provides an accurate measure of opioid consumption (morphine equivalents), (2) improved patient educational materials decrease narcotic consumption, and (3) using a pain management counselor provides additional benefits in decreasing narcotic consumption when used in conjunction with improved educational materials. Furthermore, the investigators would like to investigate the effect of the patient-maintained diaries, the improved educational materials, and the pain management counselor on pain levels, nausea, sleep quality, and patient satisfaction.

All patients undergoing orthopedic surgery at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital and choose to participate will be assigned to a treatment group based on which arm of the study is being tested at the time; (the treatment arms are sequential). Members of Group 1 (control group) will receive the current standardized institutional discharge care for orthopedic surgery and an added tracking diary. Members of Group 2 (experimental group 1) will receive more detailed educational materials regarding postoperative pain management - including instructions to how to taper their narcotic usage - as well as a tracking diary. Members of Group 3 (experimental group 2) will receive not only the educational materials of Group 2, but also weekly phone calls from a clinical patient educator to remind them of proper use of the diary and narcotic tapering.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Brigham and Women's Hospital
• Treatments: Analgesics, Opioid; Narcotics

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• At least 18 years of age

• Date of surgery between 3 weeks and 8 weeks away

• Undergoing total hip or total knee replacement [including simultaneous bilateral]

• Eligible based on our standard Faulkner Hospital pre-op assessment

Exclusion Criteria:

• If female, pregnant

• Undergoing partial joint replacement