Effect of a Veterans Health Administration Mandate to Case Review Patients with Opioid Prescriptions on Mortality among Patients with Opioid Use Disorder: A Secondary Analysis of the STORM Randomized Control Trial

Original research
by
Auty, Samantha G. et al

Release Date

2022

Geography

USA

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

No

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

No

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) implemented the Stratification Tool for Opioid Risk Mitigation (STORM) to reduce the risk of serious adverse events (SAE) among patients with opioid analgesic prescriptions. VHA facilities were mandated to case review patients identified as high-risk by STORM. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of this mandate on all-cause mortality and SAEs among VHA patients newly-diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD).

Findings/Key points

Veterans Health Administration patients newly-diagnosed with opioid use disorder experienced increased all-cause mortality following expansion of a case-review mandate for high-risk patients prescribed opioids.

Design/methods

Secondary analysis of a stepped-wedged cluster randomized controlled trial

doi.org

Keywords

Outcomes
Mortality
Policy/Regulatory
About PWUD
About prescribers