Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Oct-Dec;43(4):331-343.
doi: 10.1097/TME.0000000000000377.

Opioid-Related Risk Screening Measures for the Emergency Care Setting

Affiliations

Opioid-Related Risk Screening Measures for the Emergency Care Setting

Brittany E Punches et al. Adv Emerg Nurs J. 2021 Oct-Dec.

Abstract

Efforts to minimize the impact of prescribed opioids on future adverse outcomes are reliant on emergency care providers' ability to screen and detect opioid use disorder (OUD). Many prescriptions are initiated in the emergency department (ED) for acute pain; thus, validated measures are especially needed. Our systematic review describes the available opioid-related screening measures identified through search of the available literature. Measures were categorized by intent and applied clinical setting. We found 44 articles, identifying 15 screening measures. Of these, nine were developed to screen for current opioid misuse and five to screen for risk of future opioid misuse. None were created for use outside of a chronic pain setting. Many measures were applied differently from intended purpose. Although several measures are available, screening for adverse opioid outcomes in the ED is hampered by lack of validated instruments. Development of clarified conceptual models and ED-specific research is necessary to limit OUD.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. Adams L. L., Gatchel R. J., Robinson R. C., Polatin P., Gajraj N., Deschner M., Noe C. (2004). Development of a self-report screening instrument for assessing potential opioid medication misuse in chronic pain patients. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 27(5), 440–459.
    1. Akbik H., Butler S. F., Budman S. H., Fernandez K., Katz N. P., Jamison R. N. (2006). Validation and clinical application of the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP). Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 32(3), 287–293.
    1. Ancona R. M., Butler M. M., Beauchamp G. A., Yamin C. K., Winstanley E. L., Hart K. W., Lindsell C. J. (2015). ED prescription opioids are a frequent initial exposure preceding addiction. Academic Emergency Medicine, 22, S236.
    1. Barclay J. S., Owens J. E., Blackhall L. J. (2014). Screening for substance abuse risk in cancer patients using the Opioid Risk Tool and urine drug screen. Supportive Care in Cancer, 22(7), 1883–1888.
    1. Beauchamp G. A., Winstanley E. L., Ryan S. A., Lyons M. S. (2014). Moving beyond misuse and diversion: The urgent need to consider the role of iatrogenic addiction in the current opioid epidemic. American Journal of Public Health, 104(11), 2023–2029.

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances