Grant: Project Grant

Our long-term goal is to ensure best medication prescribing to help critically ill patients who have pain. Many patients who are critically ill need opioid medications (such as morphine) to treat pain and keep them sedated while sick. However, we know that some patients may go on to become dependent on these opioid medications. Right now we do not know how often that happens or which patients may be at higher risk of developing a dependence on these medications. This study aims to learn how often patients are still taking opioid medications up to one year after hospital discharge, and identify which patients are more likely to be in this category. We will also examine whether the type and amount of medication given to patients when they leave the hospital may have an impact on whether or not they are still taking these medications 1 year later. Finally, we will see whether chronic use of opioids is a risk factor for dying, or more often leads to patients returning to the hospital. Our team of researchers consists of experts in long-term outcomes after critical illness and the study of patterns of medication use. We have expertise in how to prescribe opioids and other sedatives, and also statistics. This work will: 1) identify individual patients or groups of patients who may be most likely to benefit from interventions to help them with pain management and also medication choices; and 2) allow us to understand whether we can improve the way doctors prescribe opioids at hospital discharge to reduce the risks to patients that they might continue to use them or be harmed by their use.