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VHA Pain Management

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Opioid Safety - Provider Education


provider education


Provider and team education is one of the essential elements of high-quality pain care. This section is regularly updated and provides links to a variety of educational resources.

Effect of Opioid vs Nonopioid Medications on Pain-Related Function in Patients

Title/Link   Description
Effect of Opioid vs Nonopioid Medications on Pain-Related Function in Patients With Chronic Back Pain or Hip or Knee Osteoarthritis Pain * (PDF) VA study shows that patients started on opioids managed their pain no better than patients taking safer non-opioid pain medications. After 12 months of treatment, patients on opioids had more side effects and slightly worse pain control.


Educational Resources

 Title/Link  Source Description
new button   (PDF) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)  This HHS Guide for Clinicians on the Appropriate Dosage Reduction or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid Analgesics provides advice to clinicians who are contemplating or initiating a reduction in opioid dosage or discontinuation of long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain.
Pain Educational Videos *  Video icon Defense & Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management(DVCIPM) DoD/VA pain management curriculum for primary care providers. Series of pain management educational videos targeting the most common issues facing Providers and Patients.
Management of Opioid Therapy (OT) for Chronic Pain manual VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines Guideline describes the critical decision points in the Management of Opioid Therapy (OT) for Chronic Pain and provides clear and comprehensive evidence based recommendations.
Management of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines manual VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines Guideline describes the critical decision points in the Management of Substance Use Disorder and provides clear and comprehensive evidence based recommendations.
Pain & Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) Materials  handout VA National Academic Detailing Service Educational module on Pain Management and Opioid Safety is to support the Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI), to help educate providers on safe pain management practices
Opioid Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution (OEND) handout VA National Academic Detailing Service

OEND program has focused on education of providers on Naloxone distribution to Veterans on long-term opioid therapy.

 
S.T.O.P. P.A.I.N. Educational Materials handout VA National Academic Detailing Service Materials helpful to providing academic detailing for providers managing patients with conditions related to pain.
  Center for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) Guidelines CDC developed and published the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain to provide recommendations for the prescribing of opioid pain medication for patients 18 and older in primary care settings. 
DVCIPM - Clinical Resources * weblink  Defense & Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management (DVCIPM)  Defense & Veterans Center for Integrative Pain Management (DVCIPM)  provides a wide variety of clinical tools, resources, meetings, and workshops available to the providers. 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) This information offers safety advice for prescribers to help prevent opioid-related overdoses.
Pathways to Safer Opioid Use *  handout Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Interactive training tool.

 Opioids - Resource Topics

Clinical Tools Provider Education Veteran Public Education  Other Resources Opiod Safety 

Disclaimer: *Links will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs Website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites.