Opioid Treatment in Primary Care: Knowledge and Practical Use of Opioid Therapy

Background: Primary care physicians play a key role in initiating opioid therapy. However, knowledge gaps in opioid use and pain management are significant barriers to providing optimal care. This research study aims to investigate the educational needs of primary care physicians regarding opioid therapy and opioid use in pain management. Methods: A computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) protocol was used to collect data from primary care physicians. Drug selection criteria, knowledge of opioid substitutes and dosage, and practical use of opioid therapy were evaluated. Results: While 84% of participating physicians (724 respondents) reported initiating opioid treatment, only a minority demonstrated accurate opioid dosage calculations. Significant discrepancies between physicians’ self-perceived knowledge and their clinical skills in opioid prescribing and pain management were observed. In total, 41% of physicians incorrectly indicated dose conversion rates for tramadol (the most frequently used drug according to 65% of responders). Conclusions: Targeted educational programs are essential to bridge the knowledge gap and increase physicians’ competence in pain management. The proper self-assessment of one’s own skills may be the key to improvement. Further research should focus on developing specialized educational courses and decision-support tools for primary care physicians and examining the impact of interprofessional pain management teams on patient outcomes..

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:12

Enthalten in:

Healthcare - 12(2024), 2, p 217

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Aleksander Michał Biesiada [VerfasserIn]
Aleksandra Ciałkowska-Rysz [VerfasserIn]
Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas [VerfasserIn]

Links:

doi.org [kostenfrei]
doaj.org [kostenfrei]
www.mdpi.com [kostenfrei]
Journal toc [kostenfrei]

Themen:

Analgesics
General practitioners
Medicine
Opioid
Pain management
Primary health care
R

doi:

10.3390/healthcare12020217

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

DOAJ096349328