MHA Keystone Center Launches Pain Management Collaborative

We are in the midst of an opioids crisis. Opioid analgesics rank among the drugs most frequently associated with adverse drug events, and data shows that significant morbidity and mortality result from inappropriate management of pain. Specific causes of concern include overuse of opiates, lack of multi-modal therapies, lack of risk stratification and insufficient monitoring of at-risk patients. 

Quality of pain management varies greatly among hospitals in the United States, yet pain control is the key driver determining overall satisfaction with inpatient care. In addition to satisfaction, pain affects quality of care and patient safety. Inappropriate treatment can result in confusion, respiratory depression, sedation, constipation, urinary retention and death. Each of these opioid-related adverse events results in higher hospital costs, prolonged lengths of stay and substantial healthcare resource usage.

The concerns for patient safety have been reiterated frequently by Michigan hospitals and lawmakers. In response, the MHA Keystone Center has developed a new collaborative, MHA Keystone: Pain Management. This collaborative aims to reduce opioid-related adverse events, improve appropriate pain management, decrease the usage of opiates statewide and enhance patient expectation management. 

MHA Keystone: Pain Management is open to all Michigan hospitals, and physicians play a key role in the collaborative's success. Hospitals may enroll (click HERE)in MHA Keystone: Pain Management until July 30. For more information on commitments and metrics, click HERE or email Michelle Norcross at the MHA Keystone Center.