Characteristics of pain patients related to risk aberrant opioid medication behaviors

Based on a recent study, Inflexxion presented a poster presentation at the College on Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) Annual Conference.  Presented by Inflexxion’s Chief Science Officer, the poster titled, “Characteristics of pain patients related to risk aberrant opioid medication behaviors,” aimed to examine characteristics of patients evaluated for pain treatment, related to scores on the SOAPP, a screener for risk of aberrant opioid medication behaviors.

The study aimed to examine characteristics of patients evaluated for pain treatment related to scores on the SOAPP, a screener for risk of aberrant opioid medication behaviors. Self-reported data were collected during the clinic workflow using the Pain Assessment Interview Network–Clinical Assessment System (PainCAS), a comprehensive, electronic assessment for pain-related treatment. At intake and follow-up visits, patients self-report on pain, medical/family history, medications and other treatments, social/emotional functioning, and opioid risk; generating reports for providers and patients. Linear regression examined the range of SOAPP scores against age, gender, race, body area(s) affected by pain, validated measures of functioning and psychiatric problems, pain-related litigation, and pain ratings at worst, now, least and average.

The de-identified data were uploaded and analyzed in real time. By October 2015, 4,795 assessments were collected at 18 clinics in 16 states; 73% from unique patients. Follow-up visits ranged from 2 visits to 11, suggesting potential for tracking outcomes. Most patients (60%) were female, white (80%) and 45 to 64 years old (51%). Back/neck pain was reported most (70%), followed by hip/leg pain (46%), shoulder/arm (24%), head (10%) and front torso (8%), with 25% reporting more than one body area. Mean pain rating for past-week-average was 6.2, worst-8.2, and least-4.9 (0 – 10). Among the unique patients, 75% (n=2,639) received some version of the SOAPP, of which 25% were positive for opioid risk. Regression analysis revealed a significant R2 = .29 (p < .001) demonstrating higher SOAPP scores associated with greater psychiatric problems (standardized beta = .52), giving higher “leastpain” rating (beta = .12), and male gender (beta = -.08). Other predictors dropped out.

In conclusion of these findings, this exploratory analysis suggests that PainCAS data, collected in real-time from patients who are not participants in formal trials may be useful to further understand clinical presentations associated with higher risk scores for opioid aberrant medication behaviors.