1. Home
  2. Focus Groups

Focus Groups

Challenges and Approaches to Population Management of Long-Term Opioid Therapy Patients

Author/s: 
Stephens, Kari A., Ike, Brooke, Baldwin, Laura-Mae, Packer, Christine, Parchman, Michael

Purpose: Primary care is challenged with safely prescribing opioids for patients with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP), specifically to address risks for overdose, opioid use disorder, and death. We identify sociotechnical challenges, approaches, and recommendations in primary care to effectively track and monitor patients on long-term opioid therapy, a key component for supporting adoption of opioid prescribing guidelines.

Methods: We examined qualitative data (field notes and postintervention interview and focus group transcripts) from 6 rural and rural-serving primary care organizations with 20 clinic locations enrolled in a study evaluating a practice redesign program to improve opioid medication management for CNCP patients. Two independent researchers used content analysis to categorize data into key themes to develop an understanding of sociotechnical factors critical to creating and implementing an approach to tracking and monitoring of patients on long-term opioid therapy in primary care practices.

Results: Four factors were critical to developing a tracking and monitoring system. For each we describe common challenges and approaches used by the clinics to overcome then. The first factor, buy-in and participation, was essential for accomplishing the other 3. The other factors occurred sequentially: 1) cohort identification-finding the right patients, 2) data collection and extraction-tracking the right data, and 3) data use-monitoring patients and adjusting care processes.

Conclusions: We identified common challenges and approaches to tracking and monitoring patients using long-term opioid therapy for CNCP in primary care. Based on these findings we provide recommendations to build capacity for tracking and monitoring for organizations that are engaged in improving safe opioid-prescribing practices for CNCP in primary care.

Keywords 
Capacity Building Chronic Disease chronic pain Disease Management Drug Overdose 2019-nCOV 1,4-DMAA primary health care RISEOK

Building a Group-Based Opioid Treatment (GBOT) blueprint: a qualitative study delineating GBOT implementation

Author/s: 
Sokol, R, Albanese, M, Chew, A, Early, J, Grossman, E, Roll, D, Sawin, G, Wu, DJ, Schuman-Olivier, Z

BACKGROUND:

Group-Based Opioid Treatment (GBOT) has recently emerged as a mechanism for treating patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) in the outpatient setting. However, the more practical "how to" components of successfully delivering GBOT has received little attention in the medical literature, potentially limiting its widespread implementation and utilization. Building on a previous case series, this paper delineates the key components to implementing GBOT by asking: (a) What are the core components to GBOT implementation, and how are they defined? (b) What are the malleable components to GBOT implementation, and what conceptual framework should providers use in determining how to apply these components for effective delivery in their unique clinical environment?

METHODS:

To create a blueprint delineating GBOT implementation, we integrated findings from a previously conducted and separately published systematic review of existing GBOT studies, conducted additional literature review, reviewed best practice recommendations and policies related to GBOT and organizational frameworks for implementing health systems change. We triangulated this data with a qualitative thematic analysis from 5 individual interviews and 2 focus groups representing leaders from 5 different GBOT programs across our institution to identify the key components to GBOT implementation, distinguish "core" and "malleable" components, and provide a conceptual framework for considering various options for implementing the malleable components.

RESULTS:

We identified 6 core components to GBOT implementation that optimize clinical outcomes, comply with mandatory policies and regulations, ensure patient and staff safety, and promote sustainability in delivery. These included consistent group expectations, team-based approach to care, safe and confidential space, billing compliance, regular monitoring, and regular patient participation. We identified 14 malleable components and developed a novel conceptual framework that providers can apply when deciding how to employ each malleable component that considers empirical, theoretical and practical dimensions.

CONCLUSION:

While further research on the effectiveness of GBOT and its individual implementation components is needed, the blueprint outlined here provides an initial framework to help office-based opioid treatment sites implement a successful GBOT approach and hence potentially serve as future study sites to establish efficacy of the model. This blueprint can also be used to continuously monitor how components of GBOT influence treatment outcomes, providing an empirical framework for the ongoing process of refining implementation strategies.

Keywords 
Buprenorphine-naloxone GBOT Group psychotherapy Group visit Implementation science Shared medical appointment Group-Based Opioid Treatment
Subscribe to Focus Groups