A model for an institutional response to the opioid crisis

Authors

  • Marie N. Hanna, MD, MEHP
  • Chester Chambers, PhD
  • Ananth Punyala, MS
  • Asniya Iqbal, MS
  • Bhuchitra Singh, MD, MPH, MS
  • Cagla Oruc, MS
  • Priyamvadha Prakash, MS
  • Yash Prajapati, MS
  • Yidong Wang, MS
  • Zeyu Amery Ai, MS
  • Ronen Shechter, MD
  • Traci J. Speed, MD, PhD
  • Colleen G. Koch, MD, MS, MBA
  • Kayode Williams, MD, MBA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jom.2020.0553

Keywords:

opioid crisis, pain management, addiction, healthcare

Abstract

The use of opioid analgesics for pain management has increased dramatically over the past decade, with corresponding increases in negative sequelae including overdose and death. Physicians, policymakers, and researchers are focused on finding ways to decrease opioid use and overdose. This crisis calls for a coordinated response that includes the entire healthcare sector. In this work, the authors lay out a blueprint for such a response at the level of the academic medical center. The proposed model is a comprehensive opioid overdose prevention, response, and education program to evaluate, monitor, and address prescription opioid-related adverse events and addiction among all patients within a healthcare system. The approach includes three inter-related elements: (1) creation of an organizational structure that is subdivided into subcommittees to facilitate cross-functional collaboration and implementation. These subcommittees will focus on Research and Design, Implementation, Advisory, and Compliance with the recommendation. (2) Development of an effective communication plan throughout the institution to enable the organization to function seamlessly and efficiently as a single unit, (3) development of a data tracking and reporting system that intended to have a 360° view of all aspects of opioid prescription and downstream patient outcomes. The most effective response system will require an organizational structure that facilitates the ad hoc constitution of cross-functional teams with members drawn from all levels of the organizational hierarchy (executive leadership to frontline staff). Such a structure provides the teams with immediate solutions as developed by the frontline staff and authority to remove institutional barriers that may delay or limit the successful implementation. The model described was developed in our institution by a cross-functional team that included members from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School, Department of Operations Management. The multidisciplinary nature of collaboration allowed us to develop a model for an immediate institution-wide response to the opioid crisis, and one that other healthcare organizations could adopt with local modification as a template for execution. The model also meant to serve as a template for an institutional rapid-response that can be seamlessly implemented during any future drug-related crisis or epidemic.

Author Biographies

Marie N. Hanna, MD, MEHP

Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

Chester Chambers, PhD

Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Baltimore, Maryland

Ananth Punyala, MS

JHOPEN Carey Business School Team, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Baltimore, Maryland

Asniya Iqbal, MS

JHOPEN Carey Business School Team, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Baltimore, Maryland

Bhuchitra Singh, MD, MPH, MS

JHOPEN Carey Business School Team, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Baltimore, Maryland

Cagla Oruc, MS

JHOPEN Carey Business School Team, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Baltimore, Maryland

Priyamvadha Prakash, MS

JHOPEN Carey Business School Team, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Baltimore, Maryland

Yash Prajapati, MS

JHOPEN Carey Business School Team, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Baltimore, Maryland

Yidong Wang, MS

JHOPEN Carey Business School Team, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Baltimore, Maryland

Zeyu Amery Ai, MS

JHOPEN Carey Business School Team, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Baltimore, Maryland

Ronen Shechter, MD

Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

Traci J. Speed, MD, PhD

Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

Colleen G. Koch, MD, MS, MBA

Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

Kayode Williams, MD, MBA

Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

References

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Published

01/01/2020

How to Cite

Hanna, MD, MEHP, M. N., C. Chambers, PhD, A. Punyala, MS, A. Iqbal, MS, B. Singh, MD, MPH, MS, C. Oruc, MS, P. Prakash, MS, Y. Prajapati, MS, Y. Wang, MS, Z. A. Ai, MS, R. Shechter, MD, T. J. Speed, MD, PhD, C. G. Koch, MD, MS, MBA, and K. Williams, MD, MBA. “A Model for an Institutional Response to the Opioid Crisis”. Journal of Opioid Management, vol. 16, no. 1, Jan. 2020, pp. 73-83, doi:10.5055/jom.2020.0553.

Issue

Section

Ideas and Innovations

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