Principal Investigator: Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH | Salva Balbale, PhD The national opioid crisis continues to adversely affect millions of lives, including a growing number of individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Studies have suggested that long-term opioid use among IBD patients can result in serious detrimental effects on GI function. Opioid use disorders in this population have also been linked to longer hospital stays, increasing health care costs, and deaths. Yet a comprehensive understanding of the opioid usage and pain management needs of these patients remains elusive. Additionally, no published studies have explored the decision-making process that IBD providers use when prescribing opioids. Dr. Stulberg’s study will lay the groundwork for developing best practices to optimize the use of opioids for IBD patients. The researchers will conduct interviews with IBD providers, in addition to focus groups with IBD patients to ensure all voices are heard and incorporated in future opioid safety efforts to enhance the care and pain management for patients with inflammatory bowel disease. (Dr. Stulberg led a previous DHF-funded study in 2017 that tracked and greatly reduced opioid prescriptions and risk of misuse in GI surgery...
Principal Investigator: Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH A surplus of prescription pain killers continues to fuel the drug crisis in America. Accidental overdose of opioids have surpassed motor vehicle crashes in this country. Nearly two-thirds of opioid pills prescribed to Digestive Health Center (DHC) patients now go unused, leaving them vulnerable to abuse or misuse within our communities. Thanks to a Digestive Health Foundation grant, Jonah J. Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, a faculty member in the Department of Surgery, plans to launch the nation’s first-of-its-kind intervention project aimed at this growing risk among the DHC patient population. Through education and training, he hopes to change the culture of drug misuse among patients and the prescribing habits of ordering physicians to provide a safer and more effective pain management strategy. The study will include the installation of a one-way, sealed drug collection receptacle within the DHC Clinic; provider training on opioid prescribing risks, benefits and alternatives; and patient education materials promoting opioid medication safety. The grant will support the development of the educational tools and the statistical and project coordinator staff needed to study implementation effectiveness as well as the costs associated with the installation and maintenance of the opioid retrieval box. The ultimate goal is to develop a sustainable model for safe opioid prescribing and optimal pain control, while minimizing societal harm due to a surplus of unused...
