Over the last 25 years in Australia, opioid dispensing has increased almost four-fold. The medical community and the Government have become increasingly aware of the harm caused by opioid misuse, including dependency, overdose and contributing to chronic pain.
The investigators aim to address the discharge prescription problem, by developing a predictive model to estimate the precise quantity of opioids that surgical patients will require in the 7 days after discharge home.
The ORADS study aims to observe 2380 patients undergoing 34 types of surgery in the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network. Patients will receive either an SMS-linked survey post-discharge or follow-up by an ORADS researcher to determine quantity of opioids used, episodes of uncontrolled pain and pain management education recall.
Following data analysis, a prediction model will be created with the final model to be incorporated into an easy to use, free app.
By developing this predictive model, the ORADS study aims to tailor prescriptions more closely to individual patient requirements, thereby minimising the risk of both excess unused medication and undermanaged pain. This approach has the potential to generate more effective pain management protocols, significantly decrease the occurrence of pain crises that lead to emergency department visits, enhancing patient recovery and reducing the burden on healthcare systems.
Dr Jason Koerber, FANZCA, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, Professor Richard Woodman, Statistician, Professor Jonathan Karnon, Health Economist, Flinders University, South Australia
The project was awarded A$40,000 funding through the ANZCA research grants program for 2025.