Individual level predictive models for management of postoperative pain

Opportunity 

Postoperative opioid prescribing is associated with significant risk of long‑term dependence, yet clinicians and health systems often lack tools to identify patients at highest risk. Health Management System (HMS) was interested in taking advantage of linked claims data to gain a deep understanding into all these various facets of opioid use, prescription, and treatment.  

Project objective 

This project used claims data and predictive modelling to gain a better understanding of pain medicine prescription patterns and patient trajectories after surgery. 

By examining provider- and system-level variation in prescribing practices, findings garnered from this work provides evidence that could determine characteristics of successful treatment, which in turn can help inform safer, more consistent pain management prescribing post-surgery.