Proposing Urgent Change
Given that UAMS provides care for Arkansans from across the state and trains the bulk of emergency medicine residents in the state, it is essential to implement new pain management practices in the UAMS ED. In this project, we propose urgent change to decrease overall opioid use in the ED, by:
- aligning ED physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants with opioid-sparing evidence-based recommendations on pain management through both didactic education and Academic Detailing (AD);
- increasing electronic clinical decision support to provide non-interruptive reminders of best practices;
- implementing a peer navigator program in the ED for individuals who receive an opioid prescription or have OUD;
- increasing linkage to appropriate outpatient pain management and care for opioid use disorder (OUD); and
- implementing non-opioid pain management strategies, including auricular acupuncture and nerve blocks in the ED.
