Page 33 - Delaware Medical Journal - November/December 2020

TREATMENT
PROVIDER HELP IS HERE
Connect with HelpIsHereDE.com to Help Patients Manage Pain Without Opioids
Karyl Thomas Rattay, MD, MS
Moving away from opioids in pain management has never been more critical. Delaware’s
prescribing rates for high-dose and long-acting opioids are the highest in
the nation. In 2018, Delaware providers wrote 60.6 opioid prescriptions for
every 100 individuals, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The national rate was far less, at 51.4 prescriptions for every 100 individuals. Delaware is also ranked second in the nation for its rate of drug overdose
deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NIDA estimates that 88 percent of those Delaware deaths in 2018 involved opioids.
To stem the tide of the opioid epidemic, providers need best-practice guidance. The Addiction Action Committee and the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health have created the Health Care Providers section on HelpIsHereDE. com to give providers a go-to source for trusted, timely, and accurate information about non-opioid pain management.
This compendium of tools, fact sheets, tutorials, and referral resources was exhaustively researched and developed to help providers determine the best approach to pain management for their patients. Only evidence-based sources such as the CDC are referenced.
The Health Care Providers section
of HelpIsHereDE.com covers a spectrum of topics, such as the risks associated with opioids, non-opioid over-the-counter pain medications, fentanyl warning information, and naloxone prescribing and use. There are 30 fact sheets available for download, or they can be sent directly to practice offices at no charge. Patient education handouts are also available for download. They cover certain non-pharmacological pain management alternatives, including chiropractic care, acupuncture, yoga, cognitive behavioral therapy, massage therapy, physical therapy, and healthy lifestyle interventions. Specialty- specific materials are included for dentists, surgeons, pharmacists, and pediatricians.
Providers will benefit from tools for their practices as well, including pain and risk assessments, informed consent and treatment-agreement patient contracts, MME dosage guidelines, algorithms for prescribing, and screening recommendations, including urine drug screening.
Help Is Here provides information about addiction treatment and links to Atlas and Treatment Connection. Both tools enable providers to find quality treatment for their patients.
For continuing education and regulatory compliance, the site offers the Delaware Prescription Monitoring Program tutorial, current regulations and drug monitoring efficacies in Delaware, and access to the mandatory Controlled Substance Registration (CSR) webinar.
HelpIsHereDE.com is routinely updated as new information becomes available. The consumer-facing side of HelpIsHereDE.com is also a useful resource for patients.
Health care providers are on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, addressing their patients’ pain while minimizing misuse and overdoses. When providers re-examine their pain management approaches and use HelpIsHereDE.com to guide their decisions, they can save lives and help stem the tide of opioid addiction in our state.
CONTRIBUTOR
KARYL THOMAS RATTAY, MD, MS, is the Director of the nationally accredited Division of Public Health (DPH) within the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. As Delaware’s State Health Officer, Dr. Rattay leads nearly 700 employees upholding DPH’s vision: healthy people in healthy communities.
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