Opioid MME Visualization

Visualize total opioid exposure for a patient plotted on the same timeline as their pain scores

What problem do we aim to solve?

Perioperative opioid prescription can be challenging in large hospital system due to potential miscommunication in the execution of enhanced recovery protocols and multimodal analgesia. This may lead to discharge opioid prescription that exceed inpatient use, which can increase morbidity and mortality from opioid-related adverse events.

How does the app address this problem?

We aggregate and summarize the information in Epic in a visualization of pain and opioid use trajectories to improve analgesic management and to rationalize discharge opioid needs. A surgical resident, nurse practitioner, or hospitalist can use this to correlate opioid consumption with pain scores, and determine an appropriate discharge prescription.

What are future opportunities for innovation?

We are already working on a follow-up project, dubbed ROAD (Rational Opioids at Discharge). ROAD will present discharging physicians with an interactive model of various opioid tapers appropriate for the patient's current and recent history of opioid administration.