This week in #patientsafety, PPAHS offered a response to a question about whether a patient is right to be worried about receiving opioids after surgery. From around the web, a study in JAMA Surgery on when long-term opioid use starts, a doctor offers advice on how to have difficult conversations about opioids, and a look at the leading role played by nurses in patient safety.
From PPAHS:
Opioid Safety After Surgery. “I’m going to have surgery soon and I have been told I will be given an opioid medication to control the pain after the operation. But I see stories of people getting hooked on opioids all over the news, and I’m scared to take them. Am I right to be worried?” Read our response.
From Around the Web:
Long-Term Opioid Use Can Start After Surgery, New Study Shows. A study in JAMA Surgery suggests that many people start long-term opioid use after doctors prescribe them the drugs to relieve post-surgical pain.
Prescribing opioids safely: How to have difficult patient conversations. Building a strong doctor-patient rapport can help facilitate conversations with patients about opioid prescriptions and reduce risks that could lead to malpractice suits, says the author.
Nurses Drive Change in Patient Safety Improvements. A look at nurses as changemakers for patient safety at hospitals.