NCT03134092

The Life STORRIED Study

Life Stories for Opioid Risk Reduction in the ED

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 1,302 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Pennsylvania · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

To compare the effectiveness of 3 strategies to inform patients of their risks associated with misuse of opioid prescriptions after treatment in the ED from renal colic or musculoskeletal back pain. Randomization will be to 3 arms for the Randomized Practical Control Trial across 3 sites (A) standardized general risk information sheet only (B) standardized general risk information sheet plus a visual probabilistic risk tool (C) standardized sheet plus narrative enhanced probabilistic risk tool.

Detailed description

Amid a devastating public health crisis, in which 19,000 overdose deaths per year in the United States are due to prescription opioids, the investigators ask the following questions: Can risk-informed communication (with or without a narrative-enhanced tool) improve patient-centered outcomes in the domains of knowledge, opioid use, functional outcomes, and patient provider therapeutic alignment? This question has implications for over 17 million patients who present to acute care settings with acute pain from common conditions. Can these goals be accomplished in a real-world setting, for a diverse patient population? The investigators approach to this project includes a practical randomized controlled trial, conducted in nine acute care settings, at three geographically distinct hospital centers, with broad inclusion criteria and a diverse population. Aims: This project aims to compare the effectiveness of 1) a standardized general risk information sheet only; 2 a standardized general risk information sheet plus a probabilistic risk tool; and 3) a standardized sheet plus narrative-enhanced probabilistic risk tool on the following outcomes: \* Knowledge as measured by risk awareness and treatment preferences for fewer opioids, particularly among those at higher risk for addiction \* Reduced use of opioids as measured by quantity of opioids taken, functional improvement, and repeat use of unscheduled visits for pain at 14 days \* Patient provider alignment as measured by concordance between patient preference and finalized prescription plan, and the presence of shared decision making. These aims will be achieved in a multicenter randomized practical clinical trial of 1,300 patients who are planned for discharge from acute care settings after being treated for acute back or acute kidney stone pain. The investigators hypothesize that, compared with patients receiving a generalized risk information sheet or a probabilistic risk communication tool alone, patients with acute renal colic and musculoskeletal back pain randomized to receive narrative-enhanced risk communication, will do the following: (H1) demonstrate greater knowledge, as determined by awareness of risk for opioid dependency; (H2a) select a treatment plan with fewer opioids; (H2b) take fewer opioids for fewer days, while achieving the same degree of pain relief and improved functional status; (H3a) enjoy greater levels of concordance between the patient-preferred and provider-selected treatment plans; and (H3b) engage in greater shared decision making with their providers. How these aims are important to patients: The research question is important to patients because 1) patients are frequently exposed to the potential for either under- or over-treatment of pain; 2) patients have different risk factors for dependency, which may impact the appropriateness of certain medications for pain relief; and 3) opioid dependence and misuse which often begin with prescriptions for acute pain are costly and common, and affect families, communities, and society as a whole.

Conditions

• Opioid Dependence
• Communication
• Risk Behavior
• Narrative Medicine

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Probabilistic Risk Communication Tool (PRT)	The probabilistic risk communication tool (PRT) is a visual tool that communicates risk using the previously validated Opioid Risk Tool (ORT). The ORT is designed to assess risk of opioid dependency for patients for whom an opioid pain relief prescription is being considered in outpatient settings. Patients in this arm will be given an iPad which will prompt them to take a short survey that automatically communicates their risk score. After which the iPad will show them a color coded visual thermometer that informs them of their risk of having issues related to opioids.
OTHER	Narrative Enhanced Risk Tool (NERT)	Participants assigned to this arm will receive the PRT described above but will also be instructed to watch one or more narrative videos. This video intervention will include a brief narrative video of an individuals' cautionary tale around prolonged opioid uses. Narrative videos are developed from actual patients sharing their stories - put into a in a structured format of \~ 2-minute length and recorded.

Timeline

• Start date: 2017-06-28
• Primary completion: 2019-08-07
• Completion: 2019-11-19
• First posted: 2017-04-28
• Last updated: 2025-07-14
• Results posted: 2020-08-17

Locations

4 sites across 1 country: United States