Reducing Disability Durations and Medical Costs for Patients with a Carpal Tunnel Release Surgery Through the Use of Opioid Prescribing Guidelines

Details

• Personal Author:
  Conlon CF ; Gaspar FW ; Hegmann KB ; Kownacki R ; Zaidel CS
• Description:
  Objective: The impacts of compliance with opioid prescribing guidelines on disability durations and medical costs for carpal tunnel release (CTR) were examined. Methods: Using a dataset of insured US employees, opioid prescriptions for 7840 short-term disability cases with a CTR procedure were identified. Opioids prescriptions were compared with the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM)'s opioid prescribing guidelines for postoperative, acute pain, which recommends no more than a 5-day supply, a maximum morphine equivalent dose of 50 mg/day, and only short-acting opioids. Results: Most cases (70%) were prescribed an opioid and 29% were prescribed an opioid contrary to ACOEM's guidelines. Cases prescribed an opioid contrary to guidelines had disability durations 1.9 days longer and medical costs $422 higher than cases prescribed an opioid according to guidelines. Conclusions: The use of opioid prescribing guidelines may reduce CTR disability durations and medical costs. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Cost Estimates CTS Guidelines Lost Work Days Occupational Medicine Prescription Drugs Surgery
• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Colorado ; OSHA Region 8 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Utah
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  59
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20067321
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2017 Dec; 59(12):1180-1187
• Contact Point Address:
  Fraser W. Gaspar, PhD, MPH, 10355 Westmoor Drive, Westminster, CO. 80021
• Email:
  Fraser.Gaspar@reedgroup.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• Performing Organization:
  University of Utah
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b1d67e4cccc532d7b57ceecd502eb04cbd625e9f808f2b0a023dfd956076eb9653d34796b07def36160eb44a529ccb2b7887d2b323b8133f8a4825282daebeed
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/231409/cdc_231409_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 349.14 KB ]